Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Knowing When To Fold...

© 2009 AP photo, The Pantagraph, David Proeber
I came across this photo by David Proeber, one of a series of an armed robber during the last few moments of his life, on Mike Johnston's 'The Online Photographer' blog.

Reading about this guy's backstory (in the second link, to the news website) makes one wonder. He wasn't a hardened criminal, just a guy with a temper and an ego. A guy who liked to play poker, and thought he could bluff his way to other people's money... and thought he deserved that money if he was audacious enough to take it. Not a professional (he's holding a piece-of-crap Makarov Russian pistol, and holding it as someone who doesn't know much about guns would). Problem is, his balls were bigger than his brains. He never thought about what would happen if he didn't get away. Probably even driving his own car.

So, here he is on the last day of his life, his front tires flat and police cars close behind, looking for a way out, when the way out was to put the gun down and lie face down on the pavement. He didn't have the balls to do that, though, and he couldn't bluff the police because they don't bluff. Armed robbers waving pistols around! Talk about an invitation to get shot.

The poker player refused to fold on a losing hand, and instead went all in... and lost. A sad epitaph.