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Yesterday, a photographer passed by and snapped a nice one. I went online to see what I was up to – and I was overcome with deep emotions. I decided, in typical my style, to philosophize a little.
What is poker?
Poker is a card game that combines skill, strategy, psychology and an element of luck. At its core, it is a game of decision-making under uncertainty – a game in which you strive to maximize the
expected value of your actions, based on the available (and often incomplete) information.
What I have taken away most from over the years is that poker is one of the best tools for self-knowledge. It builds introspection, teaches you to read and regulate your emotions, develops probabilistic thinking and creates a deep and colorful social radar system for you.
Poker strongly resembles real life – everyone at the table is smiling, but everyone wants your chips. And just because you're sitting at a table with someone doesn't mean they want the best for you.
Over the past 6-7 years, I've seriously withdrawn from the industry - for many reasons. I've found other things to do. Operators have become too greedy and shamelessly thieving, doing everything they can to gamble the industry completely - it can't be otherwise when there's a serious conflict of interest between a player, an operator and a person playing for fun. I've come into contact with Nassim Taleb's ideas in a profound way, which has completely changed my perception of risk and chance. And I don't want to live my life in a suitcase, far from my loved ones.
I know that many people who have a passion for the game follow me - and I would say to them in good conscience: most of you would probably have a fuller, happier and long-term sustainable life in other fields. The world is simply changing.
I wouldn't recommend poker as a career for most young people these days. Of course, there is still a lot of room for greatness and dedication here, but it also comes at a price.
But poker – despite everything – will remain a unique discipline for building social and emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and understanding human behavior. And that is precisely its eternal value.
Certainly, creating content over the past 20 days and thinking deeply about the game, I have realized many of my past mistakes – and how easily a person can become a victim of their own success.
If a person creates a mentality of seeking the easy, they inevitably become mediocre in everything they do. Seek the difficult and never stop competing with themselves.
