I have a horrible poker face. If I’m playing Texas Hold ‘em and I get dealt pocket rockets (which means you’re holding a pair of Aces), I try so hard to keep my face calm that I quickly develop a nervous twitch. In other words, I avoid playing poker often and if I do play it’s almost always among friends who are more than happy to relieve me of the friendly $5 buy-in. Yeah, we’re high rollers.

Quick caveat, I don’t condone poker. According to my dad, playing poker will lead to an addiction to gambling, which will lead to robbing banks and before you know it, prison. Under my dad’s regime, playing poker does not lead to a slippery slope, no, prison is the inevitable outcome.

I have a handful of friends who not only love poker, but are also really good at the game. Surprisingly, and to the chagrin of my dad, none of them have had to rob a bank to support their hobby, and to my knowledge none of them have spent a night in jail (well, at least not poker related).  

When we play our friendly games they try to educate me on the art of the poker face. According to the journalist dictionary known as wikipedia, poker face is defined as, “A blank expression that does not reveal anything about the cards being held. Often used outside the world of poker.”

It’s the last sentence that has made the term—poker face—ubiquitous in our culture. For example, when trying to negotiate the best price for that condominium you have to utilize the poker face. When your boss asks you if you’re okay with the 80% increase to your salary, the poker face would come in handy. Too ecstatic in both situations and you might find yourself paying more or receiving less.

However, truth be told, less poker face the better. As cool as it may appear to be staunchly unemotional like Sparticus, life is better served when emotions are shown, feelings expressed and truth is revealed … after all, a poker face is used in an attempt to hide or deceive.

So, to win the game of life, lose the poker face and stop approaching life with a blank expression or vapid disinterest (unless you're negotiating for that used Honda). Show compassion, laugh, cry, turn off the TV, pray, connect, talk late into the night … live. Or as my poker-playing friends often do when the chips are stacked against them, go all in.