How playing poker taught me why being aggressive matters.

When I left Roche in the spring of 2004, I had a lot of time and $ on my hands.

It would’ve made more sense to do a deep dive into my strengths and areas of interest, BUT instead, I started traveling around to play poker.

I’d watched the 2003 World Series of Poker on ESPN, and when an unknown former accountant won the main event, it gave hope to all the everyman poker players that they could play with the pros.

𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱:

Playing in person as much as I could
Reading books
Using poker software
Playing online

Back then, I lived in Ohio, and the closest place to play was outside of Louisville, KY, about 3 hours away.

I’d drive down for 3 days and 2 nights every other week and play mostly around the clock.

No-Limit Hold ‘em wasn’t popular or offered back then, so I mainly played Limit Hold ‘em.

📌 I mostly played what they called $10-$20 limit, which meant the betting patterns were either in increments of $10 or $20, depending on the game’s sequence.

You needed at least $200 to sit in that game, and I usually started with $400 or $500.

The most I ever won in one sitting was $1,200. I thought this was too easy.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝟴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼, 𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻:

Tunica, MS - Aurora, IL - San Jose, CA - Las Vegas, NV - Detroit, MI

I was better than an average player. I understood the math, starting hands, and betting patterns, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

I was too conservative. I tended to wait for good hands or when the cards hit the table in my favor. This style of play can work and does at times, but it’s hard to win consistently because you are TOO reliant on getting cards.

The best poker players don’t need great cards to win. They understand it’s playing their opponents, and you don’t need the best cards to do that.

💡 They aren’t thinking about the $. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, making the other players uncomfortable with their aggressive betting patterns, and that’s how they win, especially in the long run.

There were so many moments where it would come around to a player who had to make an important decision. And almost every time, the longer they’d think about it, the more they made the wrong decision.

Hence the saying, 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚, 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that.

The funny part is how applicable it is to life. How often do we: • Overthink things • Wait for the perfect time to start • Consider every angle • Ask 20 people’s opinions • Then make the wrong decision or, even worse, don’t make one at all

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝘁. 𝗚𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.

• Change your Approach. • Change your Outcome.

I post M-F at 8:30 a.m. EST.

I wanted to tell this story today, one of the biggest betting days of the year. If you are into March Madness, enjoy it 🏀