Erdnase wrote, “Our education then progressed through close application and constant study of the game.” So did mine. I watched and played a lot of poker when I was younger. My parents had a regular game, often hosted in our home – with the women playing in the kitchen, and the men playing downstairs near the bar. I was bitten by the bug, and soon found myself in my own regular game with the guys in high school, and even more frequently in a game of ‘show down’ with my best friend, for hours each day after each class. I was a terrible card player. Because I was into Erdnase, all I could think of was ways to cheat. So much so, that the rules of prudent possibilities went out the door and I lost more hands than I probably won. In the intervening years I have dealt, played and studied thousands of hands. The problem is that I can never win. As I am known as a magician, if I win they say I cheated, and if I lose, then they say that I am lousy magician. - DAVID BEN