Life is full of puzzling, intriguing paradoxes. For our purposes, a paradox is usually a suggested action that when taken literally would produce a seemingly contradictory result. The essence of the paradox is typically expressed in pithy little paradoxical statements. The paradoxical statements are often catchy gems that become standards of wisdom.
The paradoxical statements, to follow, embrace these characteristics:
- They are puzzling - their contradictory nature adds to their appeal.
- They are surprising - the result of the action is rarely what would be expected.
- They are universal - often applying across all of life's endeavors, especially sports and poker.
- They are intriguing - in many instances they are keys to the secrets of human behavior and accomplishment.
- They are fun - a neat way to play with simple words, yet convey sage advice. And,
- They are philosophically true, appear literally false, but nevertheless, are timelessly accurate.
Here are eight paradoxical statements that not only hold a special meaning in poker, but also often hold special meanings in sports, as well as for life in general.
1. Less Is More.
I suspect that we have all heard this one many times, and probably in all of its many applications. For example, less is indeed more, when by talking less you are heard more. A lesson most politicians (and some parents) have yet to learn.
In poker, less is more in at least one very specific application. When we play too many hands, our bottom line will suffer. By playing less hands (folding), we win more.
2. Damned If You Do, and Damned If You Don't.
This paradox is about finding balance. In poker, it has many applications. For example, in a tournament if you do not take risk, you cannot win. But, if you do take risk, you could lose. Or, you can raise too much, or too little. Or, fold too much, or too little. And, on and on.
Each presenting the problem that if you do, you can be damned. And, if you don't, you will be damned. Finding balance in poker, learning when to turn-on and to turn-off, is a never ending challenge. One that can almost drive a player crazy.
3. You Have To Get Worse To Get Better.
Certainly, if you swing a tennis racket or a golf club, or throw a baseball or a football, you understand the meaning of this paradox. It is about re-training your muscles for improved performance. The process of re-training involves un-learning your existing style, and then learning for the first time a new, better style. You cannot help but get worse before you get better.
In poker, the paradox occurs when learning multiple playing styles. Usually, we are naturally inclined towards a particular style of play - for example, tight-aggressive. We might become a very proficient tight-aggressive player, but we would not be playing optimally. Because, there is also another successful style of play - loose-aggressive. So, to become a more formidable player, we should become proficient at both styles of play.
However, when we challenge ourselves with learning a new style, our game will initially suffer. We are fish out of water, so to speak. But, does our game getting worse, mean that we should not try to learn the new style? No. Because, once learned, we will have become a more complete, and thus a much better player.
4. Think Long, Think Wrong.
This paradox is a great contradiction in terms. It is one of my favorites. Especially, when I use it to try to prod along a slow player. You know. The one player who is always holding up the entire game with his slow thinking. Of course, more than likely he is an inexperienced player, so speeding up is, for him, self-defeating. Proving, I suppose, that these seeming contradictions, for some people, are not always contradictions.
Of course, there is no substitute for thoughtful play. Every player should take their time at the table to think as long as is allowable about every situation before making a commitment. But, the trouble arises with over-thinking. For an experienced player, over-thinking, and sometimes even any thinking at all, can be counter-productive.
An experienced player's sub-conscious is a vast storehouse of all his previous play, as well as volumes of related information. Thus, the sub-conscious can supply the answers to problems in such a way that they seem to leap into your mind. So, if you learn to listen to your gut, you already have a quickly delivered correct answer, without even asking. But, if you start noodling, you might allow your logic to erroneously override your intuition.
It does not hurt to weigh or test intuition against logic, but usually the first answer in your mind is the right answer. And, the first answer, the one you did not have to think about, is the product known as your intuition. So, gain lots of experience. Then, learn to trust your intuition. And, you will not be needing to think long.
5. The Harder You Try, The Behinder You Get.
In sports, in life, and in poker, this paradox universally means that we can try too hard at almost anything, and as a consequence our performance, or chance of success, will fall. I suspect that too much self-imposed stress is the culprit. While some stress can motivate, there comes a point where stress begins to stifle keen mental and physical performance.
Perhaps, here we can take a lesson from James Bond, Agent 007 - the guy who can escape any trap, win any girl, and beat any enemy; yet, never break a sweat, never spill his drink, never soil his jacket, and all in about an hours time.
Confidence, born of experience, will allow us to stay calm, cool, and collected under the most extreme of circumstances, and perform almost as good as Bond.
6. Fear Of Failure Causes Failure.
This one seems to be as much an accepted truism, as it is a paradox. But, paradoxically speaking, why should fear of failure cause someone to fail? Would not their fear motivate them to ever higher levels of achievement? Nope. Apparently, fear of failure is not that good of a motivator. Physiological things inside of us tend to mess up when our mind is occupied by fear of failure.
In sports, fear of failure is the principal cause for a competitor to choke. Choking is a failure to perform at the most critical moment in a contest. We have all choked, even if we have never participated in sports. We choked when we refused to speak into a microphone to greet a large crowd. We choke when we can stand perfectly straight atop a dime on the ground, but not when that dime is moved to atop a flagpole.
We choke in poker, for example, when our fear of losing our too short bankroll causes us to immediately lose our bankroll. Like they say, scared money can't win.
7. Playing It Safe Is Dangerous.
How can playing it safe ever be dangerous? In poker, this paradox represents one side of a two sided coin. The other side of the coin would be, not playing it safe is dangerous. Sort of a paradox within a paradox, if you will. Anyway, the concept goes back to something mentioned earlier in Paradox Statement #2, finding balance in poker.
Specifically, for example in a tournament, if you are inclined to play it safe, you will very likely not play enough hands. Thus, allowing the increasing blinds to eventually force you into having to make dangerous push-or-fold plays in order to have any hope of survival.
So, playing it safe is dangerous. And, so is not playing it safe. Finding the correct balance between the two is the key to real safety.
8. Win By Losing.
I really like this one - it is the epitome of the simply stated, universally true, paradoxical contradiction of terms. Win by losing, who would have ever thunk?
But, in one way or another, you probably win by losing many times every day. You lose to (don't compete with) your boss, thus you are not a threat, and get that sweet promotion. Or, you are a great driver who prefers to drive, but you ride instead, allowing your wife to drive. Because, you know that she really likes to drive, even though she is a terrible driver. Of course, you are hoping, at the proper place and time, you will be richly rewarded for your gallantry and service beyond the line of duty.
In a poker tournament, you can win by losing in many ways. Most notably, you win by avoiding the big stack, even when you hold a good hand. Or, you win by not entering a multi-way race on the bubble when there is just one elimination between you and the money, even when you hold a good hand.
I hope that you will find this article to be as mentally liberating, as I have. To finally have called out all of these poker paradoxes, feels like an exorcism. Now, if I can just not try too hard; maybe, I can do a whole lot less, fearlessly win a whole lot more, without ever having to play dangerously, think, or get worse before getting better.
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Copyright 2009 R. Steve McCollum
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