Poker and Real Life
Written on August 15, 2008 – 10:40 am | by Poker Guru
It’s fascinating to know that life’s important lessons are found in one game—Poker. I know it sounds silly, but have you ever noticed that playing offline or Online Poker has somehow developed the important attributes in you? Like for instance patience and discipline. These are two important characteristics of a successful poker player. If you were used to being edgy and unruly, playing poker would definitely change your negative attitude.
So, what other poker lessons have I learned in the poker table? First is to be selective but aggressive. In real life, outside Poker Rooms, we often find ourselves in inevitable fights. Similar to poker, we have to know when to charge and when to fold. Poker and our life is not simply a game that we have to charge at all times. There are times we have to accept defeat in order to win.
Second lesson is to know my rivals. Number one strategy to win in poker is to know your opponents. If you know who’s weak and strong among the players in your table, you’ll know who to play with and who to stay away with. In the real world, knowing the people around you is important to succeeding in whatever you plan to do. If you know that your boss is having his tantrum today, it’s better if you’d postpone talking to him. It maybe to your best interest if you talk to him when you are holding strong cards in your hands. You don’t need to be an expert on body language to know when a person is in a bad mood.
Third lesson: be responsible. It’s never a good idea to blame others for your failure. I’ve had my share of losses in Poker Tournaments, but who cares. I did a few bad decisions but I don’t blame anyone. I believe that blaming others won’t do me any good. I could take out my frustration and anger in them, but that won’t make difference. If I take my losses as my responsibility, I’ll make myself a better and more successful poker player.
It’s pretty much the same in real life. I get a few downfalls; I’d loss a big sale or won’t get accepted in a job, but who cares. I don’t have Einstein’s brain or Brad Pitt’s look. I’m simply a working dad. So, I get up on my feet, learn from my mistakes, and move on. I don’t put the blame on anyone else but only in the place where it belongs.
Last lesson I learned, and perhaps the most important, is to have a plan. If you go sit in a table without anything planned like which cards you will play or how you’ll handle your opponents, you’ll most likely go broke, fast. The key to succeeding in poker game, be it 5 card stud or Texas Holdem, is to plan. Knowing in advance what strategy you’ll play is the key factor to your success. Similar to the real world, if you don’t have a plan, you’ll just go with the flow. You won’t have a sense of direction where to go and most likely end up a failure.
Now, it’s your turn. What lessons in poker applies to your real life?
Tags: 5 card stud, online poker, poker, poker rooms
