In an out of whack world where fake news has become a mainstream topic, credibility is becoming an essential asset among peers. Off the felt, it creates valuable leverage when what we say and do correlate into honest reliability. In the poker world if we plan on selling pieces, coaching, building a brand, etc., it is advantageous to have a track record of well standing credibility and professional integrity. It’s the little things that add up and if we start ignoring the tiniest details we can be putting a stain on our credibility without even knowing it.
Using absolutes liberally is a leak in perception. It’s best to avoid statements and insinuations with words such as: Always, Never, Best, Worst.
My advise is to abstain from using absolute statements.
Poker mirrors life, in which it is complex with many variables. When considering day to day scenarios and the decisions therein we shouldn’t be crippling our outlook by conforming to a simple minded, black and white way of thinking. Absolutes promote unreasonable exaggerations that come off as lazy and irrational. It may seem nitpicky to focus on something as trivial as semantics and hyperbole, but when credibility is concerned it goes a long way to know we care about the details. As poker players we should always be learning and improving our game, even if it’s something as simple as our vocabulary. By slightly tweaking our mindset and improving our perception it is possible to create an easier more efficient cognitive experience.
Using absolutes liberally is a leak in perception. It’s best to avoid statements and insinuations with words such as: Always, Never, Best, Worst.
Examples:
I never win with pocket jacks An ace always flops when I raise with pocket kings I can never hold against a flush draw in big situations You are always raising my big blind No one grinds/works harder than me World’s best “_____”
I understand that most of these are said in the heat of the moment and can be perceived as venting. But, why make the statement if the numbers say otherwise? Probabilities find exceptions and math will debunk most statements in this regard. Unless you live and breath the troll life and/or prefer to use these statements in an ironic manner they should be used sparingly. There is no credible way to measure mass subjective statements such as “No one grinds/works harder than me”. If you find yourself saying the previous statement it’s best to adjust your mindset to focus on execution and not proclamation. Hypothetically, if the statement is true your results will eventually be so consistently mind-blowing that you will never have to voice those words yourself.
It might seem too trivial to invest time in our vocabulary when there are much more pressing leaks hurting our immediate bottom line, but if the little things are not being taken care of it can be considered a chink in the armor of our overall credibility. We don’t want to lose out on any beneficial opportunities because we neglected the small details. Credibility is important and if it’s ever lost or shot, it can be a detriment to us on or off the felt.
All that being said, here are two acronyms that I live by:
MREAM – Math Rules Everything Around Me
ABL – Always Be Learning
Thanks for reading and run well.