c. Pleasant

A pleasant atmosphere holds weak players in the game and attracts new players. The good player creates a pleasant atmosphere by—

• being congenial (when advantageous)
• preventing unpleasant remarks and unfriendliness among players
• displaying a sympathetic attitude toward losers.

Most players gain pleasure from feeling accepted and belonging to the group. But the good player gains pleasure from his ability to win money and control the game.

Whenever the Monday night game gets serious, the players think more clearly and make fewer mistakes. When serious, everyone plays tighter and is less prone to John Finn’s influence. So he keeps the game carefree and careless by behavior such as described below:

A newcomer, playing in the high-stake Monday game for the first time, is nervous and is playing very tight. He shuffles… the cards spray from his trembling hands and scatter all over the floor. Finally he deals five-card stud. John gets a pair of aces on his first two up cards. Everyone drops out except big loser Scotty Nichols. “Haven’t won a pot all night,” he says and then gulps. “I… I gotta win one.” John makes a few small bets. Scotty stays to the end and loses with his wired pair of queens. The pot is small, containing perhaps $35.

 With quivering lips, Scotty slowly turns his cards over. Suddenly John shoves the whole pot across the table and into Scotty’s lap while laughing, “Don’t be so miserable. It’s only money… Take it all.”

 The newcomer’s mouth snaps open. “What a crazy game!” he exclaims. “I’ve never seen anything like that!”

Scotty grims and mumbles something about John’s generous act.

“Help thy neighbor, help thy luck,” John tells everyone. “Nothing is cheaper than money.”

That move will be remembered and discussed for a long time. The cost to John: about $35. The return to John: certainly many times that.