[Another Mrs. Fly post.  Not sure where all the recipes are...  It's like inviting Gordon Ramsay to the Tonight Show and all he wants to do is talk about his dog.]

Dear 20-something-bachelors AND middle aged married poker players AND creepy but still 'nice' poker players AND last but not least, ladies... whew... here's how a typical poker conversation might transpire btw moi and my hubbie, DF (that's Doublefly of course and not Dumbf---k):

DF: Can't believe the bad luck I'm having these days! I shoulda been up at least 7 grand this week!
Moi: (Exasperated and very condescendingly) Shoulda coulda woulda - hey you! This IS poker after all, oooh kaaay? This is why poker is considered, oh, I don't know, GAMBLING? (Hackling laughter as I absolutely love cracking myself up).
DF: No, you don't underst--- (gets cut off by moi).
Moi: Oh I do understand Mr. Shoulda coulda woulda! That's the nature of the game (rolls eyes). What's supposed to happen is supposed to happen oooh kaaay?
DF: No, no, no. Numbers-wise, there are hands that shoulda gone my way! There's math involved. Like statistics. And probability... (At this point I suppress a yawn).
DF: (Continues)... for instance, when I say I shoulda coulda woulda been up 7 grand this week, it means that there were numerous and countless times, that my chance of winning a hand was more than 80%!

This is when even I, a self proclaimed "the-only-Asian-I-know-who-can't-do-math," has a dawning understanding of what DF's trying to say. DF goes on to explain how there's a lot of math involved in poker and this is why he can actually make a living playing poker to support his family. Even the 7 grand he says he shoulda won isn't a random amount but is based on math computation on the number of hands he shoulda won by 70-80%. Usually, when DF uses a lot of poker terminology such as, flush, river, fold, straight, and all that jazz, I can't help but tune out. But whenever he talks about the probability and the logistical aspect of the game, this is when I actually tune in. Why you ask? I answer.

Because:

sqrt(-1) = "i," for the math illiterate

a) there's a tremendous sense of security? Relief? Knowing that there's a big aspect of the game where DF can control the outcome based on math vs randomly dealt cards. Guessing = Bad. Computation of probability = Good. Not knowing anything about poker before I met DF, I thought poker was all about luck. I really did. Now being a poker wife (and sometimes poker widow), ignorance is NOT bliss. I understand that DF's superior  knowledge of math (indulge me) is the reason why he's been up almost every month. This makes me think that poker might not be too far of a cry from what he did when he traded interest rates.

b) I also tune in because, it's actually amazing to think that DF can sit there literally for hours and hours trying to outwit, outplay, and out win other players. Call it cyber survival of the fittest... I totally admire him for being able to do this day in and day out. This also goes out to all of you as well! Unless you're the ones crushing DF...