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Unbalanced ForceIn particular, consider his First Law of Motion:
“An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”
And this is where poker appears. Online poker players are creatures of inertia. Some of them tend to be in motion all the time: bet, raise, raise, bet. Others are at rest: call, call, call. And many of them even believe that the cards and their luck have similar physical properties.It’s as if there’s some gravitational force pulling their cards in one direction or another.
But wait, let’s review that last phrase of Mr. Newton’s First Law: “ ... unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” And this is where good poker starts. You must be an unbalanced force. That is, you have to create acceleration to push the outcome of a hand in the desired direction (noting that acceleration can be negative — that is, slowing things down).
Most of you who read about (as opposed to just “play”) poker know about the idea of changing gears. Maybe you decide you’re going to raise two out of three hands for the next two orbits of the button. Or, maybe you’re going to fold everything except Group One hands for the next 30 minutes. |
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Poker Players
Player: Greg Dinkin
Playing poker professionally led me to be immersed in the world of EV. I had gone so far as to not only begrudge someone a little spare change, but also lecture a friend on the merits of not doing so. Shortly after the Cubs game, I went on a blind date, and the subject of Online poker came up. After about a half-hour, the woman asked me, “So, what came first, the poker or the poker face?” Here I was away from the poker table, yet I was so guarded about giving off a tell that I couldn’t begin to let a beautiful woman get to know me.
Five years later, it seems like every day that my brother Andy quotes the Rules of Wayne Dyer, when he says: “The more you change the way you look at things, the more the things you look at change.”
Virtues of PokerFor years, I have extolled the virtues of poker and how it is a fantastic metaphor for business. Along the way, I’ve forgotten that it can also be an awful metaphor for life. Keeping your cards close to the vest is a great strategy in business; it’s also a lousy one for dealing with someone you love. Never showing emotion is a great way to sell a bluff; it’s also a lousy way to be around your family. Being mindful of every little expense is a great way to build your 401K; it’s also a lousy way to treat people in the service industry.
Last year around Christmas, I watched Daniel Negreanu walk through the Poker room at Bellagio with a rack of $25 chips and $100 chips and pass them out to the dealers and staff Poker - Basic poker strategy.
He had a big smile on his face as he wished everyone a Merry Christmas.
If I think only about EV, I can come up with arguments both ways as to whether or not this was a smart move. But when I think about life, my only conclusion is that the EV to Daniel’s life is so great that it can’t be quantified.
ConclusionIf you want to be a professional risk-taker, you must explore small edges, control costs, and look at every bet as a value proposition. But if you can’t turn that off when you’re living your life, it will be tough to find any joy from the money you accumulate Poker - Machines and games. How many wealthy, miserable gamblers do you know?
Clifton rarely buys in for more than $100. If he goes broke, he reasons that he still would have spent more money in a bar that evening. He saves his liver, makes some friends, receives positive energy, and, on his good nights, goes home with a few bucks.
Sure, tipping well is a cost, but being able to talk through a hand with a dealer when he’s grabbing a smoke or simply being welcomed with a warm smile is also a benefit. But benefits and EV aside, he tips what he Tips because it makes him feel good — and that’s reason enough.
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