Poker Faces

This is very low brow compared to seeing Adrieene Rich, but my son got me to watch a new quiz/gameshow show last night, where you have to bluff about the extent of your knowledge/winnings to stay in the game. The contestants have no knowledge of the other players standing in the game, but if they turn out to be the lowest scoring player at the end of a round and they don't bale out they stand to lose everything they've won. There were 6 contestants, 4 men and 2 two women. In last night's game both women caved in before most of the men, despite that fact that they were not in last place, indeed one was actually well in the lead. It demonstrated to me just how ready women can be to undervalue and undermine themselves. Of course it was a tiny unrepresentative sample, and both women said they stood to lose more money than they'd ever had, but still it made my heart ache to see how sure they were that they were doing badly, even when they weren't.

BTW I hate the way some TV channels are moving into mainstream gambling. This prime time show is sponsored by casino chain. I'm getting very Zen in my old age, as long as I've got a camera, my family, friends and garden I really don't want much else, other than the odd new book.

Better go, my writers' group is coming round today, so I'd better flick a duster, not that they'd notice, but I would know, lol!