Just because poker is a game of money - doesn't mean money is always the point. When you get the creative juices flowing - winning is the point.
Winning means money, but at some point the money often becomes a secondary aspect of your motivation. (not unlike being a proud CC member)
A similar process occurs when you lose.
The late Jack Strauss, a well known poker player from San Antonio, said it best, "The bad thing about losing isn't the money, it's the embarrassment"