Life Is Poker, Not Chess
Life is no game and if it were it would not be chess. It would be poker. Sure chess is complex and based on strategy and can help you think. However, life is much more than just strategy. Life is based on chance, playing the hand you’re dealt, and instincts. Life is showing up with the hand you’re given, with a straight face, confidence and no fear. Which is why the poker comparison works. In real life, not a game, you are given a situation and you have to figure out how it will work, just like in poker. You are given a set of cards and you have to decide to play them or fold them. The poker metaphor is a powerful one.
You can play the hand you have or quit that hand. You can play the game you sat down for or quit the game. You can also decide to not play poker at all. As in poker, with your life you’re in control. You can fold one hand and that does not mean you fold in life. You can decide to sit a hand or a game out and that does not mean you have decided to sit out on life. But, you cannot decide to just flat out quit on life. Chess is about movement and capture of the opposing king. Poker involves just as much strategy. More importantly, poker is about making the best of the given situation. This is why poker translates to life so much better.
We’ve mentioned these examples before. You’re facing a love life that has died and divorce is an option. You receive a terminal illness. A loved one dies. The company you’ve work for is shutting its doors. You hate your job. The degree you pursued in college did not pan out in the real world. Your child has decided to leave home and never return. The hands we are given in life, just as in poker vary. Hardly they’re the same. It is up to you to play the hand you are given to the best of your ability. Stay in the game. Get up from the table, sure. Stretch or get some water. But stay in the game.
Thought Provoking Questions : You receive a situation, will you quit the hand, the game or playing all together?
Dan Roman is a writer that releases a daily meditation. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions. Influenced by the obstacles, success and failures in life and of others. Using history, books, current events, philosophy, and ancient wisdom. These writings are actionable, thought-provoking, designed to make your life better.
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