After WWW2, my father became a professional gambler. He gambled for a living for several years. If the pot got too low, he sold a car for his dad and salted the pot with it. He always told me "Never gamble with more than you can afford to lose" and "Never gamble with a man that you know is losing too much".
My dad quit when men started throwing their marriage licenses into the pot. For the rest of his life, he only gambled little amounts at Gin Rummy or Poker in the locker room of the Country Club. And he did it everyday until the brain tumor took away the ability to play.
The guy across the table is your friend. You can play against him but he is still your friend. If you ever forget that, it's no longer a game.
In our friendly home games, yes. In tournaments where a friend ends up at my table, no. And in tournaments where I don't know anyone, or only casually know them from playing, no. In home games I am invited to for my reputation to give action, no. I want nothing more than to destroy them. Pound them and take their chips until they have none. Period. End of story.
>>The guy across the table is your friend. You can play against him but he is still your friend. If you ever forget that, it's no longer a game.<<
Well said.