Poker Sayings for the Real World

I am an avid poker player. Many aspects of the game fascinated me. Texas Hold'em is an intricate combination of math, psychology, patience, and courage. So much of the game is being able to play your opponents instead of the cards you hold. Exceptional poker players can determine the possible hands their opponents hold based on their actions throughout the hand. Every tiny detail provides information in the form of 'tells.' These bits of data help an excellent player determine what cards the competition holds. If you know your opponent's hand, it's impossible to lose. One of my favorite aspects of poker is the terminology. Poker is full of great sayings, like the Poker Tell, that applies to the world outside the cardroom. Here are of some of my favorite poker sayings that are true in life also.

Scared Money Never Wins

Playing with money you can't afford to lose typically turns out poorly. A poker player never puts their entire bankroll on the table. Managing your finances and never risk more than you can afford to lose. Scared money is similar to a scarcity mindset. When someone is in this state of mind, they tend to play not to lose vs. playing to win. 

Table Stakes

The amount of money it takes to sit down and play. Depending on the stakes in the game, there will be a minimum buy-in. Your stack of chips at the poker can be an advantage. Having the ability to make hard decisions for all of their chips is a tactic that can be extremely effective.

The Nuts

This is not a reference to someone having the gusto to bluff. The nuts mean you are holding the best possible hand for that given board. Each scenario is different and can change as it progresses. This term comes from the old west. A player would put the lug nuts from a wagon wheel into the pot wagering the entire wagon. 

All-In

This phrase is used so frequently I almost left it off the list. Going 'all-in' is wagering all your chips on a single hand. It's a powerful move in poker. One that can be used to bully your opponents. You don't want to run into someone with 'the nuts' when using this move as a bluff. It's best not to be 'All-In' too often. It works until you run into someone with a monster had that calls your bluff.

Tells

Subtle things a player does give information about the strength of their hand. It can be as apparent as someone's posture or their betting patterns. Exceptional players pick up one the subtlest tells like looking at your chips after seeing cards that improve a hand.

Having Outs

When you aren't in a winning position, but can get there. Having outs means that with the remaining cards to come, you can still improve to best your opponent. Great players will have outs even when they are bluffing.

Fish (semi interchangeable with Donkey)

If you can't spot the sucker at the table in the first 30 minutes, it's you. Great players can identify weaknesses in their opponents. Poker is one of the rare exceptions when playing someone better than you doesn't improve your game, but instead lightens your wallet.

Drawing Dead

This means you there is no card in the deck that would improve your situation to a winning hand. In poker and life, it's best to avoid situations where you have no chance of success.

Cooler (or bad beat)

A cooler or bad beat is when someone has an exceptional hand only to lose most of their stack to an even better one. These occurrences statistically are improbable. Being on the losing end of a bad beat can be devastating. Mediocre players can meltdown from the loss, and the same is true in life. All of us will face a cooler during our lifetime; it is inevitable. How someone bounces back from the cooler is what matters.