Black Friday

There are two ways to view Friday's exorcism of online poker in America. The initial reaction of many professional poker players is pure panic, as their way of life has been suddenly, irrevocably altered. The online poker professional has essentially been laid off and is now unemployed. In many cases, this extends to unprepared, uneducated, and unfit for the reality thrust forth on Black Friday.

The opposing viewpoint is that poker professionals became such because of their intrepid ingenuity, risk tolerance, and proclivity for the alternative. When you sign up to become a professional poker player, you do so knowing your future holds no guarantees. Losing your job, sadistically speaking, is part of the adventure. For many, the next adventure begins now - and those who danced most gracefully on chance's tightrope will be fit for the next set of challenges, whatever they may be.

Black Friday is an opportunity for many professional poker players, a mandated advancement to more substantial pursuits. There are more glorious endeavors in this life than plundering the game's spoils, which simultaneously serves as advice for those who seek to appropriate them.