Daniel Cates on Medium – What’s the ultimate goal of poker? What good does it really do?
When we step back and think about poker in the grand scheme of things, why should it grow, and how should it evolve?
When I first started playing, all I wanted was freedom. Like many, I wanted to escape the grind of a job I dreaded, to be able to play games and do what I wanted. It was a simple desire — maybe a bit selfish, but innocent. But then, as I won, I realized there was something more. You might feel this too, playing other games or chasing other goals. You win, you level up, you play bigger. For me, that drive seemed endless — an internal push to always take on bigger challenges, forever. But when I reached the highest stakes, something shifted. I wondered: what’s next? What impact can I make with this?
It’s easy to question the value of games like poker — or sports, video games, and even betting. Are they just distractions? A waste of time? Actually, they might be at the very core of what drives us. These games have existed long before recorded history, likely originating from warfare and entertainment, and they remain central today. Why? Because they tap into something fundamental in us.
Eventually, my ambitions shifted. I wanted to make a bigger impact on the world, but I didn’t know where to start. I could have focused on feeding the hungry, like I did with my friends in London. But it became clear: helping people once is not enough. They’re hungry again tomorrow. The real challenge is to teach them how to provide for themselves — how to grow, learn, and eventually contribute to society. Education became the obvious solution.
But educating who? Children seemed like the best candidates — innocent, full of potential, and relatively low cost to help. But then I thought about my own education. Remember all those school lessons? How much of that knowledge do we actually use? Not much, I’d bet. So, the problem of education is complex — it’s not just about providing knowledge, but making sure people care enough to learn and use it.
This brings me to sport. Through sports, people not only gain physical health but also learn valuable life skills. They persevere through adversity, develop discipline, strategize, adapt, and work as a team. These skills matter. They apply directly to life in ways that traditional book smarts often don’t.
Poker, too, is a kind of mind sport. It challenges us to think critically, manage risk, persevere through losses, and grow inwardly if we want to succeed. Poker teaches humility — believe me, no one gets through this game without learning that lesson. It also demands that we see things from different perspectives, exercise discipline, and adapt constantly. On a deeper level, it encourages fairness, assertiveness, and even kindness when we consider the game’s broader political and social implications.
But the beauty of poker lies in its subtle impacts. At a poker table, people from all walks of life — rich, poor, famous, and unknown — come together. It’s one of the few places where the ambitious youth can sit across from the wealthy and successful. This creates opportunities for social mobility that might not exist elsewhere. Players from disadvantaged backgrounds have a chance to play on a global stage, to win, and, in some small way, redistribute wealth. In that sense, poker plays a role in balancing the world economy, if only slightly.
The slow pace of poker, while frustrating for some, actually levels the playing field. It forces players to develop themselves, to become better, more thoughtful competitors. The barriers that exist — whether at a national level or in private games — challenge us to grow and adapt. And for those of us who are more introverted, poker encourages us to step outside of our comfort zones, to engage socially in ways we wouldn’t otherwise.
At its best, poker offers financial freedom. If you find success, you can live life on your own terms. And many of the game’s greatest players — Phil Galfond, Doug Polk, Liv Boeree — have used their poker success to invest in businesses, build communities, and even raise millions for charity. They’ve applied the lessons they learned at the table to make a positive impact on the world.
This is why poker has reinspired me. It’s more than just a game — it’s a tool for personal and societal growth. Poker players, when they channel their skills and virtues in the right direction, have the potential to create real change. My role now is to help guide this process, to inspire others to use their success for the greater good.
My hope for you is that you find freedom through poker, just as I have. And when you do, give back — to the game, to your community, to the world. Poker is a reflection of life, where we make plays, push edges, and strive for positive outcomes. And just as we seek to maximize EV at the table, we can use the same principles to make life decisions that enhance virtue and create value for others.
Should the poker community, and perhaps the world, see poker in this way, we may all feel as though we’ve won the Main Event many times over.
Jungleman's thoughts on the fate of poker didn't end there. Recently, on Twitter, he formulated the three biggest problems of the industry:
Three of the most pressing points in poker:
First one:
1. There needs to be a way to bring and retain more recreational players to the game that not only gives them a good experience but also leaves them better than how they started. Ie, make them WANT to part with their money
2. High rake is a chokepoint for almost all parties. It takes recreational player's money faster, it means less people can win, it chokes the poker dream, and it hurts the bottom line of almost all players but the hosts.
3. There is little to no accountability for scams and many versions of bad actions. The incentive system for people to behave honorably is often broken. Working on something that has the potential to fix this! If it works, no longer will people be able to behave badly and hide.
