politics and poker
It's late and a test week so I should either be studying, napping, or freaking the hell out. Instead, I want to expound on a conversation I had with Christine in the shower earlier. I know, I know, my priorities are irreparably damaged. For the record, this is a continuation of pre-ring times, not a sad glimpse into my celibate future.
Anyhow, read this first.
Avid card players, of which quite a few will read this, know the United States. You're in a 10 person game and one guy through luck, good play, and a ton of aggression has half the chips at the table. Everyone looks on with some fear, some contempt. US will push you around and you will most likely fold...most of the time. You see that there seems to be a greater force to his good fortune and that with nothing to lose he will call you until you have nothing left. You do not mess with the US.
So there a couple of possible strategies. The US could sit back and let the others fight for the rest of the chips, and just avoid conflict safely, inciting a reverent jealousy. This never happens. I guess people think they should "stay with what got us here", even if that might involve an uncontrollable, slippery sense of luck. So instead, the US continues to push hyperaggressively, chopping down the small stacks; loud in actions, loud in speech, an elephant in the room. Everyone hates the US. And once that guy has done it long enough, made others desperate enough, the small stacks will fight back. And something to remember is that not everyone is weak. Someone else will soon rise from the masses with wealth and support--dangerously--and some of that may be from leaked wealth from the US in its hyperaggressive misjudgements.
And now the big stack all of a sudden has some trouble. Formidable adversaries. No allies. Everyone wants a piece now, purely out of distaste. China is no pushover. Don't fuck with them with your rhetoric and your threats. They will call. And you will look foolish, because everyone knows that every time you raise, you do not have the best hand. In fact, most times you have rags and everyone is suspicious even though they aren't in position to call you down yet.
China has a strong hand and the desire to go all-in with it. How strong is your hand, US? Is this a showdown you're willing to lose big on?
Anyhow, as mentioned, the weak don't always remain so. No one likes being the small stack. The US didn't when it chopped down a big stack (Britain) in the Revolutionary War. And the US used its new wealth to start a campaign of growth and prosperity. These other small stacks aren't all going to go away quietly. Of course, some are smarter than others. For example, North Korea is representing rockets (A-A). "They don't have aces," Christine astutely pointed out. True, but they may have A-7 or K-9 or J-10 suited or something that will win some of the time, and frankly, with our current streak of getting called out with Q-5 and the likes while representing the nuts, isn't it time to just give it some thought before reraising? True, North Korea probably has shit. It's probably a smart bet to call them. But we need to be careful, and that's all I'm really saying here. China is no joke. Syria, all those countries, go with peace while we rebuild our stack with smart moves, and if you then do something foolish, we will come after you and no one will fault us for it.
After all, the US can be smart by not bullying, and it's foolish for others to pick battles with the tough guy at the table, especially when he's thinking clearly and has a lot of ammunition. This is where we should be and what we should be moving towards.
The bully never wins at cards. Not in the end. He's not smart enough.
(shower...me...girl...and this is what I think of? stop judging)
Anyhow, read this first.
Avid card players, of which quite a few will read this, know the United States. You're in a 10 person game and one guy through luck, good play, and a ton of aggression has half the chips at the table. Everyone looks on with some fear, some contempt. US will push you around and you will most likely fold...most of the time. You see that there seems to be a greater force to his good fortune and that with nothing to lose he will call you until you have nothing left. You do not mess with the US.
So there a couple of possible strategies. The US could sit back and let the others fight for the rest of the chips, and just avoid conflict safely, inciting a reverent jealousy. This never happens. I guess people think they should "stay with what got us here", even if that might involve an uncontrollable, slippery sense of luck. So instead, the US continues to push hyperaggressively, chopping down the small stacks; loud in actions, loud in speech, an elephant in the room. Everyone hates the US. And once that guy has done it long enough, made others desperate enough, the small stacks will fight back. And something to remember is that not everyone is weak. Someone else will soon rise from the masses with wealth and support--dangerously--and some of that may be from leaked wealth from the US in its hyperaggressive misjudgements.
And now the big stack all of a sudden has some trouble. Formidable adversaries. No allies. Everyone wants a piece now, purely out of distaste. China is no pushover. Don't fuck with them with your rhetoric and your threats. They will call. And you will look foolish, because everyone knows that every time you raise, you do not have the best hand. In fact, most times you have rags and everyone is suspicious even though they aren't in position to call you down yet.
China has a strong hand and the desire to go all-in with it. How strong is your hand, US? Is this a showdown you're willing to lose big on?
Anyhow, as mentioned, the weak don't always remain so. No one likes being the small stack. The US didn't when it chopped down a big stack (Britain) in the Revolutionary War. And the US used its new wealth to start a campaign of growth and prosperity. These other small stacks aren't all going to go away quietly. Of course, some are smarter than others. For example, North Korea is representing rockets (A-A). "They don't have aces," Christine astutely pointed out. True, but they may have A-7 or K-9 or J-10 suited or something that will win some of the time, and frankly, with our current streak of getting called out with Q-5 and the likes while representing the nuts, isn't it time to just give it some thought before reraising? True, North Korea probably has shit. It's probably a smart bet to call them. But we need to be careful, and that's all I'm really saying here. China is no joke. Syria, all those countries, go with peace while we rebuild our stack with smart moves, and if you then do something foolish, we will come after you and no one will fault us for it.
After all, the US can be smart by not bullying, and it's foolish for others to pick battles with the tough guy at the table, especially when he's thinking clearly and has a lot of ammunition. This is where we should be and what we should be moving towards.
The bully never wins at cards. Not in the end. He's not smart enough.
(shower...me...girl...and this is what I think of? stop judging)
posted by jerm at 06:33
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