Won Rs. 10k playing poker at Office Diwali Party

Last night was supposed to be a fun team Diwali party. Not the official one, just a small gathering at my teammate’s flat. It was a break from the usual grind. But, of course, even at a party, I couldn't completely escape work. My manager kept pinging me about some deliverables that were "urgent", seriously dude? Typical her.

Anyway, I shut off my phone after a while. I needed a break. The night started pretty chill with drinks, snacks, and office gossip, but soon enough, someone brought out a deck of cards. That's when things got interesting. We decided to play poker, and I was like, why not? Needed something to take my mind off how lame this party was. I used to play a ton of online poker so I thought time to make some money hahaha.

The stakes weren't too high at first, just 500 buy in. But as the night wore on and drinks started flowing, people got bolder. I didn’t plan to stay long, honestly. I had work waiting for me at home (thanks to my manager's untimely reminders). But once we got into the game, I couldn't leave.

It’s weird, you know. I don’t even play poker regularly anymore. Yet, somehow, the cards were in my favour last night. By the end of the night, I had managed to win 10,000 rupees! It felt amazing, especially knowing that I'd have to deal with another shitty week ahead.

But there were moments when I thought I’d lose everything. One of my colleagues, a guy who thinks he’s the wannabe poker master, tried bluffing, and I almost fell for it. I kept thinking, "Should I just fold and leave? I’ve got enough money now." But nah, something kept me going, probably the thought of making this night a small victory against all the crap we deal with during work.

It wasn’t all about the money, though. It was about feeling like, for once, I had some control. Unlike work, where no matter what you do, there’s always something more to finish, someone else breathing down your neck. The game was something I could win, and I did.

We wrapped up around 1 AM, with everyone exhausted and tipsy, but it was worth it. Now, back to reality. The deliverable’s still due and my manager's probably wondering where I went.

Ah well, at least I’ve got a bit of Diwali cash to keep me going.