Poker and Life – Risk management
I have to admit, a while ago I got hooked on poker. Before you call me a hopeless gambler to be, or another lost soul heading down the beaten path to deprivation, you may want to know it’s not the financial aspect of the game I got hooked on. Most people play poker to make money. That’s the ultimate goal of the game, and if you’re playing it for any other reason, and you come clean about it, you’ll quickly earn yourself a not too nice moniker in poker and online poker circles. The reason I came to like the game is a different one though, and with the risk of appearing ridiculous to all the seasoned online poker players reading this, I don’t care all that much about the money involved. It’s not that I couldn’t use the extra dough – God forbid – any of Lady Luck’s contributions would come in handy for these pockets, it’s just that I’ve found something much more fascinating about it.
My whole passion stems from the over-churned and trivialized debate on whether poker is a game of skill or one of luck. The truth of the matter is, poker has both skill and luck elements involved, what’s really interesting though, and what really turns poker into a miniature sandbox-replica of real life, is the way the luck and skill elements interweave in the game.
It turns out, poker is a game of risk management, and skill is the only tool players have a their disposal in the perpetual battle not only against the mathematical odds, but against the often twisted and intricate minds of their opponents too. Poker is a game of survival, in which he who adapts the fastest will crush those unfit to tag along on evolution’s upward spiral. Poker is “making” yourself lucky through skill. Poker is forcing Lady Luck to act a certain way. Poker is taking advantage of opportunities and grabbing onto every little piece of conceivable edge. POKER IS LIFE.
If one wants to study human psychology in its various phases, the poker table is quite probably one of the best labs one will ever find. The game is conceived in a way that puts players under perpetual stress. Even large-stacked players will have a whole bunch of almost life and death decisions to deal with on a regular basis at the tournament table. If poker was to be officially considered a sport, mental toughness would be the most important skill needed for it. The funny thing is, it’s mental toughness that’s probably the most valuable skill in life too. The player who manages to master poker thought on a high enough level, will be able to carry his poker skills through to life in an almost unaltered state, and he will become more successful on account of these skills. I’m not saying I’ve managed to achieve this performance. I probably haven’t. The mere prospect of studying risk management, and decision making with the goal of becoming a more successful and fulfilled human being is one that’s more than exhilarating to me right now though.