Book Review, Zen and the Art of Poker

I kept alluding to it, and talking about, but finally I've put fingers to keys and this is what I've come up with as a book review of Larry W. Phillips' Zen and the Art of Poker:

As many of you know, I've been reading Larry W. Phillips' book Zen and the Art of Poker, if you're a regular to this blog, it would have been tough to miss the fact. However only a very few of my closest friends know just how intriguing that I've found the book to be. This review should fill in the gap for the rest of you. As soon as I finished the book, I immediately turned back to page 1 and I've started it over again... but even more slowly than before. I'm a horrifically slow reader in the first place, but I'll confess this pace borders on catatonia. There is an immense amount of wisdom in Mr. Phillips book, and I know there's a great deal that I missed on the first reading. I found myself a number of times pausing to ponder an individual thought expressed by the author and even the innumerable quotations from great Zen masters throughout the book. There were times I was reading a poker book which included some references to Zen, and then at other times I was reading a Zen book which included some references to poker! To say that it was well-crafted is an understatement, it's flow was superb. But enough with opening praise...to borrow from the classic '80's commercial tag line: "Where's the beef?!?"

Well first, this is the first poker book that I've ever picked up that didn't try to tell me how the game is played, or define the terms of poker like "flop" or list out all of the cutesy names for every hole-card hand that you could possibly see in the game. What a beautiful thing! Sold... I'll take two!

Second, the transitions between Zen elements and poker elements was seamless. After a short explanation to the uninitiated to "What is Zen?" Mr. Phillips got right to the business of the topic at hand. A series of 100 Poker Rules begins to unfold on page 14 and doesn't let up until page 151. After each is a discussion of the rule of the game, how Zen fundamentals play into it, a game anecdote or circumstance, and more often than not a direct quotation from a number of the Zen masters. The parallels were very thought-provoking and the provided situational examples frequently made me say out loud, "I never thought about it that way before, but he's right."

Third, how can you go wrong with a book of wisdom that quotes with equal and respectful intensity the works of Zhuge Liang, the movie Caddyshack, Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Kevin Canty's Rounders, and even a smattering of Chuck Norris. If nothing else you have to admit, the author's got flair!


Fourth, the book teaches, it really does. It teaches that there is truly an ebb and flow to the game of poker. One of which at all times we are at its mercy. We must learn to exist within this movement within the game, and not try to struggle against it, but accept it and even more so become a part of it. We must also as a player incorporate failure into our overall system. Many times in poker, we may find ourselves playing our best, and for all intents and purposes being the best player at a given table and still nonetheless...LOSING! I think Mr. Phillips put it best when he compared poker to a game of football, in which the play of two opposing teams was further influenced for good or bad by a sniper/spectator who can directly impact the play on the field. In no other game is luck such an influencing factor, but you cannot rely solely upon it to be successful in the game of poker. You must accept it, just to realize that despite your best efforts, sometimes you will absolutely fail, through no fault of your own. The trick is to minimize the losses associated with this fact and occurrence.

Fifth, the author shook me up beginning at Chapter 16! Up to this point, I'd been lulling myself in to this Zen-like awareness of the world turning under my feet, inner peace and harmony, thinking of chanting some ancient mantra or other, and then he hit me with the Chapter on "Betting." He followed it up with "Aggression," "Warrior Zen," and then even "Playing on Instinct." He did this with "Rule # 62: Good poker is not a gentleman's game, it is a war." I was quickly brought away from the thought that Zen Poker was merely preaching passivity. Instead, Zen's "calming influence to center...before battle...[allows] the perfection of the mechanics of aggression." Make no mistake Zen cannot change events, but it directly impacts a mastery of self. It has been said before, poker is a game of well timed aggression. The instinct to know when the time is right is a skill to be honed over time.

Sixth, some of the rules present were common sense, but I didn't feel cheated but rather felt a kinship with the thoughts the author was expressing. Expressions like "Don't steam" and "Don't be mean-spirited" in particular have always been a part of my approach to the game. Some of you have heard me say before, "make it easy for them to lose to you. Your opponent just lost a chunk of his stack to you, he doesn't need it to sting any more than it already does." I think I now need to include though the thought, "did I take as much of his stack as I possibly could in each situation?" This has been one element of my game that has been lacking and has held me closer to the "breaking even" side than the "truly profitable" side of the scales.

Lastly, and finishing you up with a lucky seventh... Zen and the Art of Poker asks the very probing question of each of us, "Why do we play poker?" The answer may surprise you. The answer that others you routinely play with may provide, might shock and confuse you. But knowing the answers should influence how we play against others.

I want to thank the author, Larry W. Phillips, again for his book, and for the thoughts that it has evoked in me. I also want to thank him for the impact that this has all had on my game, and will continue to have in the future. I encourage each of you to read the book, but I won't do so too loudly though, there's wisdom contained within that I'd just assume have all on my side the next time you're at the table against me.

Regards,
cheer_dad