It never ceases to amaze me the similarities between poker and life. The one that I am currently fixated upon has to do with action. If you’re playing poker, and you sit back and wait for that amazing hand, you could very well lose all of your money just waiting and paying your blinds. Sure, you’ll go for it when it is a sure thing, but when there is a chance that you could lose your money to a better hand, you just fold your cards, chances are you will not be a successful poker player. Nor would you have much fun!
How true is this when it comes to living? Imagine if we all just waited for the absolutely perfect, sure thing? I know that I would still be waiting now, single, living in my parents’ basement, working a “McJob” and basically, being “blinded out”. Sure things just don’t happen often enough to wait for them. Sure and secure is one thing, and one thing only, BORING!
Action is where it’s at. Life is about playing, getting involved, being a part of it all. This is what life is all about. TAKING RISKS, being okay with short term losses for long term gains. All of this is what makes life worth living. In life, as in poker, these risks need to be calculated. They need to be educated, and they need to be well timed, but they also need to be taken.
Poker is the same. You will not be a successful poker player if you are unwilling to take risks. You will not be a successful poker player if you are unwilling to put your chips in the middle. So put them in! But make sure that you have done your research. Know when it is okay to bluff, and know when you really need to have something to play. Understanding this subtle difference will make you a winner.
Anyone in business knows that you can’t succeed without taking risks, the trick is to know when to take them. Poker is teaching me about taking risks. The funny thing is, I love the adrenalin rush that comes with taking the risk, the heart pounding, shaky hand rush that reminds me that I am, indeed, still alive.
All of this is to say that in poker, as in life (and business);
Action Equals Success.
