I thought the story might be based on real events.
I used to play the same game and our progression into the gambling life seems to be about the same, almost non-existent.
I lived in Las Vegas for a short while. I went to play Texas Hold'm at the tables once just like you say, "No care in the world about losing it; all that I wanted to do was play." I did well at the first table, coming up fifty bucks. But, as the drinks kept coming, my decision making got worse and I began to care less and made those risky plays. That was a fun fifteen minutes!
I think the subject matter of the prompt is a really great method to approach the game and realize success. It really looks almost foolproof. I'm itching to give it a real-life test by studying it and then using it in an actual game. Probably just with friends at first before hitting that Native American casino, which became a Hard Rock venue in the early 90s,but is still owned by the Native Americans.