There was a period in my past life when I used to play poker regularly. I was in my early 20s back then and played against opponents much older than myself – most were in their 30s and 40s.

At first, I was treating it like a hobby. But gradually, I found myself making money consistently.

In fact, it reached a point where I was travelling overseas for poker tournaments.

I treated it like a business and my goal was to make sure I made enough money to cover the costs of my travel and lodging.

The thought of turning professional did cross my mind.

But the last straw for me was on a faithful day in Manila where I realized I had to win people’s money – at all cost – in order for me to make money.

Poker is a zero-sum game. For me to win, someone else had to lose.