Sunday, September 03, 2006

I've been playing a lot of poker on the computer lately. Poker teaches all sorts of interesting lessons for life and story telling. For example, if you only play the best hands, you will lose -- because people will realize you're only playing value hands, and they'll fold on you. And, you'll get beat often enough by some joker who's playing loose and aggressive, and draws out on you at the river. To win a tournament, you'll almost always have to play some hands loose. Once the blinds get big enough, you are practically forced to play some hands loose or the blinds will bleed you to death. But (especially in limit poker) it's hard to bluff your way to a win. You want to bluff with something you might be able to draw out on.

You may draw your own conclusions for plotting.

I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking up poker for anyone who does not feel completely confident in negotiations. The most obvious lesson is that you will make more money if you're willing to turn down some jobs than if you are not. Sure, you'll lose some jobs, but you'll get paid more for the other ones. But the elaborate dance of raises and calls and folds you learn in poker will give you a whole set of intellectual and emotional tools for handling the negotiation dance.

(This doesn't apply to absolute beginners who need to take any job just to break in and meet people; but it applies to anyone who is actually being dealt some cards to play with on a regular basis.)

Not to mention, poker is a good excuse to invite show business people over to your house. They might not give you a meeting, but they'll come to drink whiskey and gamble.

1:32 PM

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