Understanding the Game of Life Within the Small Table of a Card Game

        I do not encourage gambling and have never wanted to beautify Texas Hold'em. Just because Depu is not a game that relies entirely on luck, I want to share with everyone the inspiration I have learned about the game of life from it.

        

        More than twenty years ago, after watching the movie "King of Gamblers" starring Matt Damon, I fell into the wonderful and profound world of Texas Hold'em.

        At first, I thought that after watching a few classic card games and reading a few strategy books, I was already invincible. However, when you actually sit at the card table, you have no idea how to apply the tactics in the book, which fully fulfills a famous saying in the movie: "Within half an hour of being at the card table, if you can't see who the weak one is, you are the fish yourself

        This sentence is also a portrayal of life and the workplace. Many times, we believe that we have learned countless great truths and think that we can go all the way. However, fate requires you to hit the southern wall, and not a single one will be missing. Arrogance and arrogance are often the greatest ignorance, and people will eventually pay the price for that self righteousness. Texas Hold'em shattered my vanity in the first place and forced me to learn humility.

        Compared to the clear-cut game of chess and wits, the competition of Texas Hold'em is actually closer to real life. Because life certainly depends on strength and strategy, but sometimes it also depends on the favor of heaven. Whether it's the ecstasy of being saved by the last river card in a desperate situation, or the shock of being "killed by the river" in the end after leading all the way (the reversal caused by the last public card), these unpredictable variables add many unexpected dramatic tensions to life.

        Texas Hold'em is also a game that emphasizes rigorous strategy, teaching me how to calmly recognize my position, strengths and weaknesses in the entire game, and what strategies to adopt in the current situation. From the first three public cards in the flipping circle, the fourth card's "turn", all the way to the crucial "river card", it is necessary to constantly predict the opponent's card type, observe their personality, scrutinize their strategy, and then evaluate when one should boldly advance? When should we make a show of force? When should we defend and counterattack? When should we decisively put a stop to damage? As the situation changes, constantly self correcting and reflecting on how to improve in the future from the repeated replays of the game. True experts do not rely on subjective "feelings" to make decisions, but rather on a set of games based on statistics that calculate the EV (expected value) between win rate and odds. Even the "Nash equilibrium" advantage solution in game theory is deeply applied in every bet. This kind of transition between offense and defense, constantly reviewing strategies, also resembles a scaled down version of enterprise market competition.

        Because of this rigor and passion, I have also experienced my own glorious moments. In a small-scale tournament with over a hundred participants, I advanced all the way to the final showdown between two people. The hand that ultimately determines the winner, my deck remains ahead during the flip, with both sides directly "All in". I held my breath and watched as the dealer pulled out the last river card, unable to save the opponent. At that moment, my suppressed emotions were instantly released, and I won my first German wrestling championship in my life. I, who usually consider myself fluent, surprisingly spoke incoherently during my post match interview. That excitement is not solely due to the joy of receiving the bonus, but rather the sense of achievement of realizing one's dream.

        With the confidence of winning that small-scale tournament, I was brave enough to challenge even more difficult large-scale tournaments. In the world of Texas Hold'em, the chips in my hand are "health points". Watching the chips slowly fade away, I inevitably feel anxious. Therefore, every time I play, I hope to restrain my desires and go further. In a large-scale tournament with over 3000 participants and hundreds of tables, I endured a three-day and dozens of hours long schedule. During this time, I carefully restrained my restlessness and endured multiple fluctuations in my chips. Finally, I successfully stepped into the FT (Final Table, the final table of nine players) and stepped onto the stage of live broadcasting. At that moment, the joy and relief that felt like reaching the summit moved people to tears.

        To be honest, the most profound soul baptism that the card table brings me is often not the joy of winning, but the self-awareness and emotional control when facing heavy losses. In card games, encountering a 'river kill' is a common occurrence among soldiers, and feelings of loss are inevitable. But if one is frequently and inexplicably reversed by river cards throughout the entire tournament, it will turn into bottomless anger and even begin to blame others. This is precisely the cruelest aspect of Texas Hold'em, as it will completely uncover the character and dark side that are deeply hidden in its heart, forcing itself to get to know the self that, even in extreme setbacks, can go berserk and lose control. But because of this, I began to learn to stop and observe my own emotions, to accept that fluctuations are a part of probability, and in life as well. Even if I am mercilessly killed by fate, I must learn to reconcile with anger and maintain clarity in adversity. This is the most precious life lesson it has taught me.

        Looking back on this ongoing journey of Deppon's fantasy, I gradually understand that we are all fighting a protracted race called life. What truly determines how far we can go is never the quality of our momentary arrogance, but whether we can hold onto the bottom line of not following the crowd when facing uncontrollable storms.

        *Image source: Magnific

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