The competitive imperative

Looking dispassionately at it, I realize I've got the poker bug bad. It's so fulfilling when I play it that I'm perilously close to feeling compelled to play. What separates passion from obsession? I don't really know. I guess if I were truly obsessed, I wouldn't be able to miss playing a single day. That's not the case. If I were truly obsessed, the hours I spent playing poker would keep increasing. That's not the case either. I guess the best way to describe my poker habit is to say that I have a deep need to compete, and poker satisfies that need. Call it the competitive imperative!

buy_in entry_fee num_players num_hands place winnings

 50000       800           6        54     3        0
 50000       800           6        51     3        0
 50000       800           6        67     1   195000
 50000       800           6        40     3        0
 50000       800           6        59     2   105000
 50000       800           6        15     6        0

delta: $-4,800
tournament balance: $1,014,290
balance: $6,145,021