"You Win Some, You Lose Some"

From the mouth of a local hero, Darvin Moon, who lost in the final round of the World Series of Poker, to a 21-year old, “wunderkid” -- the youngest champ in the history of the series.

Although Moon is a logger, I’ll forgive him for that. He’s the real deal. The kind of guy those of us who have to live more inside the beltway than the woods of Garrett County, Maryland, have come to love about Garrett County. With his five million dollar haul, he’s not looking to do too much for himself. He will upgrade his 14 x 70 trailer to a modular home, maybe get a custom Corvette. But he wants to spend the money “bettering other people’s lives… putting relatives through college … possibly getting a youth rec center up and running…”

He plays for the fun of it. Shouldn’t we all?

Believe it or not, I put my hands on a Southwest Airline article I ripped out of the magazine back in 2003 about the top female poker player, Annie Duck. Her Winning Tips apply more than just to poker (my ruminations in italics)...

1. Play tight. … be willing to fold bad or mediocre cards.

Relationship, job, whatever… if it’s just giving you mediocre returns for your investment, it’s time to fold.

2. Have fun… if you’re not, quit.

We spend far too much time at work to not have fun – if you haven’t laughed today at work, take a moment to wonder why.

3. Practice… nothing beats experience.

Practice does make perfect… or at least better. And yes, experience always comes in handy, but without #4, experience is just old.

4. Read as much as you possibly can.

If you’re not about life-time learning, your experience is like a pond without a source of fresh water. Stagnant. Experience only gets better with more learning.

5. Be focused… don’t just pay attention to your cards. Study your opponents, the faces, and body language, tendencies in the way they play…

It’s why I force myself to watch Fox News.

6. Learn from other players… regardless of whether a player is good or bad, they always have something to show you.

I’ve learned more from bad bosses (how not to do things), than from good ones.

7. Err on the side of aggression … it’s better to be a raiser than a caller because you pick up a lot of other ways to win besides having the best hand.

Take the risk. Never underestimate the power of being bold. Make the move even if you don’t know where you’ll end up – you’ll be surprised at the results.