Sun Tzu's Art of War Applied to Poker

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This is a very good and instructive. Thank you. I'm a poker began to look as life as a constant struggle without surrender with a lot of patience with a readiness at all like in life.
 
Excerpt #39

The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course.

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.

Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.
 
Commentary

The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course.

When you find yourself winning hand after hand after hand your goal should be to continue that momentum for as long as possible. In this way, you can maximize the amount of chips you earn from a good run of cards. On the other hand, you must be careful about continuing the momentum when you are on tilt for that perilous path of least resistance is very easy to follow.

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

All of poker is about decisions. Over the long run, making better decisions than your opponent will make you a net winner over that opponent. When your opponent makes better decisions than you over the long run, however, you will be a net loser against that opponent over the long run.

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision.


Whether you come out swinging or slowly build fear in the hearts of your opponents, you must not only establish a style that is feared at the table but also let your adversaries know you are decisive in your play.

Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.

The "energy" you build around your play will follow you to the end of the tournament; how you ultimately make decisions at crucial points in the game will determine whether or not that energy will be converted into chips.
 
punctual said:
The "energy" you build around your play will follow you to the end of the tournament; how you ultimately make decisions at crucial points in the game will determine whether or not that energy will be converted into chips.


Paws up. I like the one a lot.
 
Excerpt #40

Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all; amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat.
 
Commentary

Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all; amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat.

Your opponents should perceive disorder when in fact there is underlying order. There should be madness but there should be a method to that madness. You will win the most chips when your opponents look upon you and pity the sad state of your affairs: when players see nothing but weakness yet you have fortified your positions with more strength than they could see given the image you've portrayed.

Aim to be perceived as weak when you are in fact strong; aim to be perceived as strong when you are in fact weak.

It will behoove you to keep your opponents in a constant state of confusion; confusion leads to bad decisions and bad decisions (on the part of your opponents) will mean a greater potential for you to increase the size of your chipstack.
 
Excerpt #41

Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.
 
Commentary

Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.

The worst thing a poker player can be is predictable; predictability will most certainly lead to defeat. At the poker table you can only simulate disorder when in fact you are perfectly disciplined, you can only simulate fear when in fact you have extreme courage, and you can only simulate weakness when in fact you are strong. Likewise for the converse of these statements.

You must be able to paint a false picture of your intentions at the poker table: a picture everyone buys and is willing to bet their money on. If your hand is strong your goal should be to create the perception of weakness and vice versa if your hand is weak. All of poker is in fact about deception; he who deceives most convincingly wins the tournament
 
punctual said:
The Art of War is of vital importance...It is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or to ruin. Hence, it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

In poker, a strategy for your session is of vital importance: how you plan to tackle a tournament or a cash game on a particular day will lead you to either success or failure. Never go into a tournament or cash game without a plan of attack.
Woooooohhhh!!!!! Whats your screen name???? I will never sit down with you. Life or death.... Scary!!!! :tongue: J/K... Sounds crazy though.
 
TakinOver said:
Woooooohhhh!!!!! Whats your screen name???? I will never sit down with you. Life or death.... Scary!!!! :tongue: J/K... Sounds crazy though.


LOL Mike, actually the two of you know each other and have tabled together many times.

I'll leave it at that. 🙂
 
Thanks for the great comments. I apologize for not updating this thread as often as I used to but I have been very busy
 
BearPlay said:
LOL Mike, actually the two of you know each other and have tabled together many times.

I'll leave it at that. 🙂

I still barely learning whos who..... Not new here but seems like it...:hello: So who is the mystery man??? So maybe i might remember..😎
 
Excerpt #42

Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision;

concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy;

masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions.

Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act.
 
Commentary

Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision;

While in poker there are no "troops" per say to subdivide, the way you can accomplish this is by having your set of "random" bets, calls, and folds be rooted in an underlying pattern which only you can see. Think of this as an encrypted key which only you have access to...everyone sees randomness but you control the pattern. Yes you will have losses but they will be controlled. Losses now will equate to big wins later as you construct a particular pattern of play which your opponents will count on in later rounds.

concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy;

When opponents see you play weakly from a strong position with a strong hand they will interpret this as fear. When opponents see you play strongly from a weak position with a weak hand they will interpret this as folly. The next time you bet from a weak position your opponent will recall your folly; the next time you limp from a strong position your opponent will remember your fear. In both of these cases, you have positioned your opponents to bet wildly when you are strong and to fold when you are weak.

masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions.

Perception is key in poker. To take your opponents' chips, you really must play your part well. You really must seem weak when you are in fact strong and seem strong when in fact you are weak. Better than being unpredictable is to be what I like to call reverse-predictable: that is, always having your opponents wrongly predicting your play. So they are always thinking you are strong when you are weak and always thinking you are weak when you are strong.

Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act.

Keeping your opponents on their feet as you paint a deceptive picture of your playing pattern can only be done with aggression. You must put your opponents in a position where they feel cornered and must make a move; having been trained with your deceptive programming they will be forced to make a move at the same time they are misinterpreting your playing pattern: they will err and you will gain chips!
 
Excerpt #43

He (the deceptive leader) sacrifices something, that the enemy may snatch at it.

By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.

Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy.

When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down.

Thus the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy.
 
Commentary

He (the deceptive leader) sacrifices something, that the enemy may snatch at it.

Feign weakness, set your trap, and reel your opponent in.

By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him.

The opponent will soon bear first hand witness to the actual strength that was hiding behind the veil of weakness.

The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals.

What happens in a particular hand is of little concern to you so long as your actions in the hand have contributed to the overall picture you have intended to paint for your opponents.

Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy.

However, every move you make must be purposeful and bring you closer to painting that intended picture in the minds of your opponents. The loss of even significant pots will pay off later on!

When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down.

In many cases, you will be able to control the flow of play in a game through aggression. When this is not possible you must know when to lay back and wait for the right time to become active again. As a log simply "goes with the flow" of the terrain it is positioned upon, so too must we dynamically adjust our playing styles according to the conditions of the tournament. The ability to ebb and flow is key; ride the waves when the waves are there and create your own waves when there are none!

Thus the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy.

The decisions you make throughout a tournament will have painted a picture for your opponents of your playing style. Now you must decide how and when to properly use this intended perception against your opponents. When done properly, your play will persist with a force that your opponents can not withstand. You will confuse, bewilder, and ultimately dominate your opponents. You will be seen as unstoppable and indeed you will be!
 
Excerpt #44

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.
 
Commentary

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

There is added risk when you show up for a tournament late: blinds have increased, your chipstack has depleted, you are generally at a disadvantage to those who have shown up on time. The strategy of late registering for a tournament near the very end of the registration period will usually increase your risk of ruin: by this time, the average chipstack could well be high multiples of your own stack and you are forced to put all of your chips in with mediocre hands in an attempt at "beating the odds" and doubling up. In poker we strive to maximize the skill factor and minimize the luck factor: starting a tournament significantly later than everyone else accomplishes just the opposite: the luck factor increases while the skill factor declines!
 
Excerpt #45

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
 
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