Tao of Poker

Happy St. Patrick's Day and the Luck of the Irish

By Pauly
New York City


Today is the biggest binge drinking day in the world. AlCantHang simply calls it Monday, but everyone else calls it St. Patrick's Day. When I was a kid, I went to Catholic school and we used to get off for St. Patrick's Day so we could go downtown and watch the parade. Little did I know, it really gave the grownups in the neighborhood an extra excuse to get shitfaced.

Binge drinking is always associated with the Irish. So is the catch phrase "Luck of the Irish" that has its origins in irony.

Here's the best explanation of the "Luck of the Irish"...

"The luck of the Irish" means good luck. People use it when a person of Irish descent inexplicably beats the odds. Beating the odds isn't inexplicable, it just looks that way, but it surprises observers. My guess about its origin: the idea that the Irish people have suffered so many misfortunes that it's a miracle whenever something comes out right for them, and it can only be explained by being blessed with an inherited form of good luck.

Here's a few lines that I wrote a couple of years ago today...

Luck is a very fickle subject. Much like love, luck has driven plenty of people crazy and driven others to success. On my way home the other night, there was a homeless guy walking around on the subway with just pants on at 3am. They looked like a pair of Old Navy cargo pants. He was barefoot and shirtless. He asked people for food, money, clothing, or shoes. It's still winter here in the big city and he looked like he was freezing. Snot was hanging off his nose and upper lip. He would get on his knees and beg in front of the passengers... one by one. I would have given him some cash, but all I had were big bills. I am such a pompous asshole. I couldn't break a hundred and opted not to donate to his cause. I probably should have given him the rest of my poker bankroll. That would have improved all my karma ten fold. But I'm a greedy bastard. It's a fucked up world we live in somedays. It's good that I get those in-your-face reminders that we're all one turn of the card away from total depravity. And that deep down, I'll always be a selfish prick who only cares about himself.

Did I learn anything about that encounter? After a brief wave of self-examination, I felt guilty but that quickly subsided because I chalked up the homeless guy's situation to luck. He didn't have any... and I had a ton. Most days, I feel that I'm the luckiest guy in the world. That's why I will be hitting the tables on on Poker Stars... to ride the lucky streak that my Irish ancestry has passed along.

Have a lucky day today, and don't forget to drink a lot of water.


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