After studying a lot of poker over the past few months, I came to a few important conclusions about the game generally, and how to be successful at the tables. Almost as soon as I formed these conclusions, I realized just how these ideas apply to life generally, and the path to a life full of great joy, through understanding! Of course the next step is to write it down, and share it with my friends and family!
First of all, lets step back from all the advanced strategy and tactics involved in being an expert player (which I do not claim to be!) and focus on the idea of purposeful action, generally.
What is purposeful action? Let's define it as follows:
"An action that you consciously choose, as a result of preparation, in accordance with your personal beliefs, attitudes and values, which you have taken an adequate amount of time and energy developing."
That may be a lot to take in in one sentence, so let me try to break it down, both in terms of the decisions we come across when it comes to playing poker, and also the parallels to these situations in life.
Preparation
In any endeavor, to be successful, we must first ask: What is the goal?
It might sound obvious when stated this way, but in poker, the goal of a winning player is to maximize wins and minimize losses. Different people approach the game differently, and each approach has its pros and cons. Lets take a look at the different player types, and see what they stand to gain, and what they could potentially lose.
Tight passive: This player lets many opportunities pass him by, folding often. When he does have a good hand, which generally stands to win, but is not a 100% guarantee, he won't bet much or often.
It should be clear that this person is minimizing his losses quite well! He avoids putting in a lot of money in risky situations, and generally avoids situations altogether! This ensures he will not lose much.
What about maximizing wins? Those times he does have the winning hand, but neglects to bet on it, he is giving up the opportunity to earn! In poker, as in life, if you don't take advantage of opportunities as they come - you will certainly miss out!
Loose passive: This player takes on all opportunities, but doesn't push his wins. Generally, he is motivated by fear of being taken advantage of, and rarely (if ever) acts confidently based on his situation.
This player does not minimize his losses, because he rarely folds. The only time playing this way saves money is when he underplays (puts too little money into) generally good situations!
This player does not maximize his wins, because his passive nature, prevents him
Table selection
-Should I play at all? What do I hope to gain?
Each hand is an opportunity
-Dont worry about losing a specific hand focus on the war, not the small battles
What do people want
-When others take action, what do they expect from me? How should I react?
How am I perceived
-Do I deserve this perception? Am I accurately assessing others' perception? (Have you asked anyone out lately?) Can I take advantage of this knowledge?
How do I perceive others
-Am I accurate - continuous review and improvement
What should I do based on my perception?
-Purposeful Action
Don't get in over your head
-Bankroll management - forward thinking - Can I handle all possible outcomes?
Opening up?
-Giving others opportunities to exploit you, in the "war" gives you more flexibility!
Go with your gut
-The whole point of defining exactly what is important in decision making, is that you can act confidently in the face of "danger" It's often imaginary!
Keep your chin up!
Now that you know exactly what you "should" be doing - you don't have to be phased by results!
