You fold it too early, you bet too much, you call too late, you almost had it, everybody's
got advice, after the hand is over, everybody suddenly becomes a poker professor, funny
how that works, the flop looked perfect, the turn felt safe, victory was already dancing
in your head, then the river arrived, one little card, one tiny surprise, one impossible
ending, that's why we keep playing, here comes the river, changing every plan, turning kings
to peasants, making heroes out of anyone, here comes the river, nobody's safe, every
heart starts a race until the final card is ready, river, river, one more card, one more
card, river, river, one more card, oh, oh, yeah, uh, Boston already started celebrating,
stand, reach for the chips, Leo leaned back, smiling, the rookie asked, did I win, nobody
answered, we were all staring at the dealer's hand, slowly, very slowly, sliding out, that
final card, the whole room froze, for exactly half a second, then exploded, some blame luck,
some blame probability, some blame themselves, some blame yesterday's coffee, me, I blame
the river, it's always innocent, until it isn't, that's poker, you celebrate too early,
you cry too early, you think you know, then the deck writes a completely different ending,
dealer, slow down, take your time, everybody's watching, nobody breathe, wait for it, wait,
wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, river, river, oh, river,
some nights, you are the hero, some nights, you become the story, some nights, you survive,
with one impossible card, and everyone keeps talking about it, long after, the chips are
packed away, maybe, that's the real reason, the river exists, to remind us, that certainty,
is just another bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff....
here comes the river, changing every dream, keeping every play, wondering what could be,
here comes the river, cruel and kind, breaking hearts, making legends, one last card, one more time,
raise your glass, raise your smile, raise your smile, tomorrow we'll laugh about it all over again,
here comes the river, one more card, the deck goes back, inside its box, the chips return to little colorful stacks,
someone quietly says, i almost had you, someone else smiles, almost, the dealer shuffles, without saying a word,
everyone knows, another unbelievable river, is only one hand away, shuffle, beyond, river