Laughter is the relief that you get from the challenges of life

A name such as Alan Betson for a poker player is just a joke from the very beginning. The difference is that instead of laughing at him, we are laughing with him and his wit. When I was doing some research on the comedy machine that is Alan Betson, I was always struck by the fact that every biographer always referred to his wit even more than his skills at the poker table. Some might see this as a deliberate trivializing of a fantastic career in poker. However I see it as a very successful attempt to bring out the full personality of the poker player which makes him the person that he is.

I once read somewhere that there was a terrible singer who kept singing with joy despite the sniggers of her audience. One commentator said that she was at least happy in her work. He lamented that he wished that every other singer was happy in their work. They could then produce good quality singing at all times. This is an illustration of how a person can bring humor to their profession and win over the unlikeliest fans in the process. I am of the view that Alan Betson is an example to all of us who aspire to join professions that keeping a long face is not good for your health and professional development.

Irish charm that deals with all circumstances

Alan Betson is credited with being at his most humorous when things are not going to plan. This shows an astonishing humanity and strength to be able to deal with some adversity with good grace. Poker is one of those games where you can lose as much as you gain. In fact sometimes your account is in the red all the time. If you are always gloomy you will end up never enjoying what could be a spectacular career. Life is too short to be pulling a long face about every single bad event that might befall you. That is why if you have someone like Alan Betson you are in the position to enjoy the game and feel comfortable watching.

The negative people might say that humor is against the grain when you look at how much money that you can gain or lose in a poker game. Such solemn circumstances would require a solemn response and appearance. To take such an attitude is to take the game of poker too seriously. The ability to take risks in the game requires that you deal with the bad days by planning to get to the good days. If you do not have the sense of frivolity to take these risks then you will end up being a one hit wonder that will never come back to the game again.

This is quite a safe way to be but for people who have significant careers such as Alan Betson, it is far better to take on the attitude that he has adopted throughout his career. Even if you are not a poker fan, this is one player who has an attractive personality.