Poker Hands & Strategic Plans

The value of seeing the world from another person's perspective.

Years ago, I was playing in a poker game one night at my brother’s house. It was the standard low-stakes game played among a group of friends. Most of the people had never played a lot of serious poker, so they didn’t know how complex the game can be.

I first started going out to Las Vegas to play poker in 1993 and for many years played every chance I got. While I may not be ready for the world championship, I have studied the game enough to be a solid player in most games.

At my brother’s game that night, there was a hand where I had folded early but I kept watching as the betting proceeded along. About midway through the hand, my brother grimaced. I could tell he wanted to call the bet but knew the correct strategy was to fold. I quickly reviewed the past bets in my mind and blurted out, “A pair of fours, eh?” He showed me the cards he had thrown away, which were indeed a pair of fours.

Most people were surprised I had figured out his hand correctly just from watching the betting. I e…