Its not just in poker books

Without a doubt some of the very best books that I have ever read about poker have not been poker books…….are you confused? Well most people would be when you phrase a statement in this way but allow me to explain. Poker is a micocosm of life itself and to be a good or a great poker player requires more than just loads and loads of theoretical knowledge.

Poker theory and the learning of it is only really part of the equation. Unless you are skilled in the application of theory and the adaptation of it then you will struggle when you first start out. But poker is not just about cards, only people who dont understand poker think this.

There are so many connections with other fields that it opens up a whole new area when you discover it. I have always been interested in Warfare on a sort of general knowledge level without fully understanding the true reality of war itself. I have recently begun re-reading after many years, the great classic “On War” by Carl Von Clausewitz.

The creator of the famous but often confused quote “War is the continuation of Politics by other means” except this is often misquoted as the actual word used is “policy” and not politics and this error was even made in the movie “Crimson Tide” by Gene Hackman as I recall.

But what a book!!!!!! Now after re-reading it after all these years and understanding poker like I do then it is obvious that poker and warfare share many characteristics far beyond the obvious ones. This has led me to invent my own quote which is “Poker is the continuation of Warfare by other means”. Not really riginal but in a way it is and I am proud of it.

Although before anyone goes rushing out to buy the book in the belief that it will win them money then dont count your chickens because it wont. It really needs a reader to already be at a high level of poker sophistication to be able to make the connection at all otherwise it will appear like a book on war and nothing else. It also needs a very high level of creative thinking to be able to make those connections and whilst this may seem that I am blowing my own trumpet, all I am merely doing is restating how much work I have put into my game and understanding of not just poker but of myself.

I have read books on the stock market, sports betting, trading, martial arts, Zen etc etc and found strong links with poker in all of these fields but yet warfare surpasses all of these and I have to repeat that at this time, I am engrossed in one hell of a book.

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