This week, an article by Donnie Peters from PokerNews has gotten a little buzz about a topic that has been one of my top talking points over the years. His main premise is that the recent evolution of poker has led to the game being more serious and less fun, which is generally bad.

Donnie focuses on the TV aspect. While I agree that the advanced TV coverage is aimed at the wrong audience for the future growth of poker, my focus has always been on players making the game more fun.

The meat-and-potatoes of the poker economy is not a 23-year-old who knows 3betting and 4betting ranges like a kid rattling off multiplication tables. Poker is not built on hoodies, headphones, and covering yourself in disguise like a sniper in hostile territory. And while there is room for superstars and winning players, they aren’t the key either.

The key is, and always will be, players who see poker as entertainment and are willing to pay for that service. That provides the funding that all of the other elements of the poker world would wither without. A truly winning player can’t keep playing if the game passes him and he turns into a losing player. His funds quickly dry up. The house, dealers, and staff have to make money or they are forced to go elsewhere for employment, but having quality people running games is key to putting on a game that people want to play in.

If you consider yourself to be a professional poker player, it is inherent that your job is to win money when you play. But the other element of your job and long-term success is creating a game and an environment that will allow you to continue to win money over time.

This second area is where the hoodie-wearing, don’t-give-away-anything-for-fear-of-losing crowd is missing out. Not only are they missing out in the long-run by not creating a better poker economy for everyone, but they are also missing out in the short-run by depriving themselves of the opportunity to play in games that are more enjoyable. There is a lot of value in being able to have fun at work.

The other element is the networking and ancillary benefits that come from making contacts at the table. Many of the players who make poker games great are people who have been successful in life and have knowledge and experience that can be very valuable to the young, entrepreneurial poker players out there. I have done well playing poker, but my winning pales in comparison to the lessons I have learned and the contacts I have made over my years at the table.

Being friendly and having some personality at the table isn’t that hard and isn’t going to give away what your hand is. A vast majority of your success comes from the strategy and betting pattern elements of the game, not body language and tells. Letting your natural personality come out might cost you some tiny fraction of a percent of your equity, but it will allow you to enjoy the game more and also help build and develop a game that all of the players at the table enjoy being in.

A lot of times, one person can change the whole dynamic of a table. Don’t be afraid to be that person. You just might enjoy it and it might help get the guy at the table who has money to lose to stay instead of giving his seat to another early 20s hotshot who is waiting in the wings with a backpack full of sweatshirts, headphones, and sunglasses. This is the same kid who that has been studying your play for the last half-hour thinking about where he can get a slight edge on you.

I’d rather keep playing with the businessman who likes to laugh, joke, and blow off some steam and doesn’t mind paying for the opportunity to do so.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.