Poker as a Metaphor for Life

techsavant777 · Jul 17, 2015

I was talking with a friend recently and had poker on the brain like I do most of the time. He was a bit down on his luck and feeling down in the dumps. Talking about dark things that people do when they are very depressed.

I told him, son, you've only seen the flop. You still have the turn and the river to make your hand. You ain't drawing dead yet. You've still got a chip and a chair.

This really pepped him up some, and I thought, that is a good metaphor for life. It's a poker game and we're all doing the best we can, and putting all our chips in, until we bust out or take the whole thing down.

So I continued, you didn't hit your hand on the flop, but you've got a decent draw and you never know... you might end up catching the nuts on the river. Don't fold now, before you've had a chance to see what card are left to be played.

I'm sure I said some more stuff I can't remember but it seemed like it really helped. Thank you poker.

What do you all think about this? Apt metaphor? Or complete hogwash? The world wants to know!

Pet0 (aka techsavant777)

4soul · Jul 17, 2015

I like the ideea....life is like 100 times that the mtt you are playing. If you lose it it's like a sad moment in your life, and try more forward....on the last mtt played and have no bankroll left is like the end

or transmution into freeroll life

Singham · Mar 11, 2020

Are you kidding me?

This was so inspirational! And I signed up just to say this to you.

techsavant777 said:
I was talking with a friend recently and had poker on the brain like I do most of the time. He was a bit down on his luck and feeling down in the dumps. Talking about dark things that people do when they are very depressed.

I told him, son, you've only seen the flop. You still have the turn and the river to make your hand. You ain't drawing dead yet. You've still got a chip and a chair.

This really pepped him up some, and I thought, that is a good metaphor for life. It's a poker game and we're all doing the best we can, and putting all our chips in, until we bust out or take the whole thing down.

So I continued, you didn't hit your hand on the flop, but you've got a decent draw and you never know... you might end up catching the nuts on the river. Don't fold now, before you've had a chance to see what card are left to be played.

I'm sure I said some more stuff I can't remember but it seemed like it really helped. Thank you poker.

What do you all think about this? Apt metaphor? Or complete hogwash? The world wants to know!

Pet0 (aka techsavant777)

Liru · Mar 11, 2020

Poker is like life, you can wake up in a perfect mood like getting pocket aces then and get sucked out on with 108, like in that moment you go downhill and don't think things clearly in life you get upset, depressed and everything that happens with be a reaction to your mood. It's how we control our emotions and take those punches from bad beats, suckouts and many coolers that we become wise and win experience points.

ga25x · Mar 11, 2020

Poker is a gambling game. Life could be a gamble if u risk much, could be not...

DS3 · Mar 11, 2020

Nice post techsavant777

I got interested in poker because of the psychology of the game, the ability of players to weather bad beats and persevere. These happen with a regularity not generally seen in real life. I felt compelled to learn and play because I thought it would stand anyone in good stead to learn to face adversity repeatedly and yet, hopefully, come out a winner in the longer term.

Phoenix Wright · Mar 12, 2020

DS3 said:
Nice post techsavant777

I got interested in poker because of the psychology of the game, the ability of players to weather bad beats and persevere. These happen with a regularity not generally seen in real life. I felt compelled to learn and play because I thought it would stand anyone in good stead to learn to face adversity repeatedly and yet, hopefully, come out a winner in the longer term.

+1 Cool. I got into poker because of the psychology too

As for the original forum question: the metaphor of life and poker has been around for a long time. One famous quotation states, "life is like a hand of poker: it isn't about the starting hand you are dealt, but how you play the hand."

heeyjean · Mar 13, 2020

You are a really good friend, haha.

I think poker can help us to improve as a people, not just on the tables to win more games. Thats why i love this game.

venycyos · Mar 13, 2020

All true, moreover we are always the heroes are all the other villains. But think about it, are you alone to say that all are villains, but all others to consider you villain. As life this is very unfair and unequal.

Pokerishard · Mar 13, 2020

Fold and live to fold again. You will show your poker greatness by the hands you fold, not the hands you play.

VivicvrMga · Mar 13, 2020

You have a game. I already won a tournament with 3 big blinds.

crankmuppet · Mar 13, 2020

I like that post very much.

In the same vein:

You win some you lose some.

Hopefully you are winning more than losing.

DandyWarhol · Mar 14, 2020

like poker, life as a lot of variance... you can play/do everything to the best of your ability, and sometimes it doesn't turn out the way you hoped, or (mathmatically) should

theRaven68 · Mar 14, 2020

You gave to him good advice and inspiration for the future...great philosophy

Ricardo_lhp · Mar 14, 2020

I think you made a very good analogy between life and poker, that's exactly what life has to do with the choices (which are our chips) and the floop is the consequences that they will bring us. It can hit a wonderful floop (everything goes well) but it can be a horrible floop and we need a turn or a river to help us (other opportunities) so I think you were happy with what you said to your friend.

Katie Dozier · Mar 14, 2020

I’m a sucker for a good poker analogy and this one certainly fits the bill! Particularly in these uncertain times, remembering that we’re just on the flop is a very good thing for us to keep in mind.

Thanks for sharing this, OP!

neptun1914 · Mar 15, 2020

After all poker is created and played by people so it is normal it to be related to the real life outside the table. I personally improved some aspects in my real life since i play poker (like better control of emotions and better analyze of difficult situations). You analogy looks correct to me.

tweezer_reraise · Jan 4, 2021

i love it !

it really is amazing how many poker sayings can work in other aspects of life. it truly is a game that reflects the ups and downs of life. stay safe and gl at the tables !

el_soma77 · Jan 4, 2021

Metaphorically speaking, poker is still art, colloquially we hear comments from older people, especially our mothers, who get upset every day because, every day I play poker, even if it is the free pokerstars of 888, and recently those of sportsbetting , I believe that poker is like music or like food or air, there are people who are passionate about the game, adrenaline, and mental knowledge, in knowing a little more things than the rival or the villain, that's why I say the poker is art people can classify it as rubbish when they lose amounts of money, but they love it when poker changes their happiness and life.

That's why I say poker is like roulette, they have to bet at the right time, so that you are a winner.

Poker as a Metaphor for Life

techsavant777

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4soul

Visionary

Singham

Rising Star

Liru

Rock Star

ga25x

Visionary

DS3

Legend

Phoenix Wright

Legend

heeyjean

Rock Star

venycyos

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Pokerishard

Visionary

VivicvrMga

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crankmuppet

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DandyWarhol

Enthusiast

theRaven68

Legend

Ricardo_lhp

Rock Star

Katie Dozier

Poker Expert

neptun1914

Legend

tweezer_reraise

Enthusiast

el_soma77

Visionary

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