I can still remember the first time I played Pusoy Dos. It was my Bicolana nanny who taught me after seemingly endless rounds of Lucky 9 and Ungguy-ungguyan. We were passing time during a cold, quiet night in the province--a "not-out-of-the-ordinary" occurrence. I think she was bored out of her wits, playing unchallenging games with a kid who didn't know anything beyond the high stakes of "pitik sa tenga kapag natalo". Both our ears are pinkish and we needed to take a break from all that "violence." After one round, she became hesitant to play with us again even though she won. Maybe it's because of the fact that Pusoy Dos is primarily identified with gambling, and she didn't want to be caught teaching us how to gamble. No biggie though. We played with my folks the very next day. Personally, it's my favorite card game because it involves a lot of calculated risk taking, you can also follow a certain game plan or adjust your hand on the fly.
Filipino Poker, popularly known locally as Pusoy Dos, is a variation of the Asian card shedding game called Big Two (Da Lao Er in Mandarin). It originated in China and is played in the Eastern and Southeastern region of Asia. The objective of the game is to discard all the cards in your hand by playing single cards or by putting together certain card combinations, the red suits outvaluing the black ones. The first player to empty his hand wins.
And with these, I've seen some subtle parallels as to how Pusoy Dos mirrors life as we know it.
1. You'll never know which set of cards are gonna be dealt to you.
In Pusoy Dos, the deck is being dealt to each player face down--which means you have absolutely no idea what kind of cards you will be receiving. No one knows. In the same way, life, being the "Great Dealer", will be handing situations and circumstances that are either advantageous or disadvantageous to you. And because of that...
2. How you're gonna play your cards is completely up to you.
One game, you'll have a teeming collection of red-banded heads and numbers. Suddenly, everything's all right in the world. The very next, it'll be as dark as night, and you'll be going all existential and spill "What is the meaning of life?" But most of the time, it's a folly of black and red--like a can of Coke. Such is the fate of a Pusoy Dos player. In life, it's the same. There are days when all the planets align to grant your wish. In others, you'll be picking yourself up from the gutter wondering what happened. But most of the time, there's nothing too "stand-outish".
I've played Pusoy Dos with different kinds of people from all sectors of demographics. I've had my share of losses and wins. I've also watched others win with perhaps the weakest hand and lose with the best. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot about a person's character in the way the play Pusoy Dos. How you play life, receive the blows, the applause and react to all of these is gonna spell the difference. Remember, the key to Pusoy Dos, and ultimately in life, is to exhaust every possible potential you have no matter how stacked the odds are against you.
3. Luck is part of the equation. But ONLY a part.
Luck is a fleeting mistress. Hopefully, you won't be banking on luck alone because in life, no one ever really made it on luck alone. You'll make it with smart decision making, taking calculated risks, and waiting for the right time to pounce. I bet you haven't heard of this, but did you know that luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity? You see, there comes a point in time where you'll be able to see beyond what's in your hand, beyond "just being lucky", when you can almost envision victory with the hand you have to get you through the finish line. And you'll only get there by...
4. Just never stop playing.
Plain and simple. Life is meant to be played. Sometimes, the biggest lessons are not in the winning and losing, it's in the trying. Experience brings out the best in us because we've already been through worse. Are you at a low point of your life? Keep your chin up, wipe your tears, and prepare to receive the next hand. Your next break is just around the corner. Now the question is: Are you prepared for it?
Also, are you on top of the world right now? Do you feel untouchable, invincible? Don't let it get into your head because you'll never know when your "lucky streak" turns to a "losing slump".
Wherever you are, learn to appreciate where you're at. Life is a game meant to be played. Enjoy from it, learn from it, love it. Just don't ever stop.