"We live in a black-box society. What I mean by this is that we do not know how many things work; we simply know how to use them. TVs, computers, cars, cell phones, and microwaves are just a few of the myriad black-boxes that we take for granted." (Killer Poker by the Numbers, p. xix)
Some adopt black-box thinking along the lines of "I don't care how my computer works; I'm happy as long as I can read the latest celebrity gossip at tmz.com." Others adopt black-box thinking along the lines of "I don't know exactly how my computer converts the code I'm writing into a working program, but this poker calculator I just created is sweet!" With the degree of specialization needed to produce many of the things we use on a daily basis, adopting some level of black-box thinking is essential in today's society.
But excessive black-box thinking can be costly. Sometimes the cost is monetary; sometimes the cost is time and sometimes the cost can be much more serious. Suppose your car is making a strange noise and you take it to a mechanic. If you don't know how your car works, there's an increased probability that your mechanic will be able to hustle some extra money out of your pockets.
Suppose there's a simple problem with your toilet. If you don't know anything about how your toilet works, then you have to wait for a plumber to come over to fix it. Suppose your doctor accidentally prescribes you medication that reacts adversely with another medication that you're currently taking. Interference between the medications can have serious health consequences. A fine line separates laziness and ill-advised apathy from the pragmatic black box thinking needed to thrive in today's society.
Pragmatic black-box thinking focuses on the following two questions:
"What can this thing do for me?"
"How much do I need to know about it?"
The question that pragmatic black-box thinking typically doesn't address is:
"Why or how does this thing work?"
Poker is a source of many great life lessons, so how does poker relate to all of this?
You can have a Ph.D. in game theory, invest big money to build a network of computers large enough to solve your game of choice and study the game's solution so that you can play perfect, nonexploitable poker, but you won't beat the rake if all your opponents have done the same. Meanwhile, with good game selection, it's possible to win tons of money as a simple black-box player who simply memorizes a few simple rules and mimics what other successful players seem to do. It's not necessary to become an expert to make lots of money, and it's possible to be an expert who doesn't make lots of money. In poker, strategy is to skill as game selection is to profitability-and it can be possible to achieve one without the other.
The relationship between poker and life away from the tables is that the less you understand, the more vulnerable you are to events outside your control. Even if you're currently a highly profitable black-box player, these are four reasons that should motivate you to start asking why instead of simply asking what.
• No matter how much you may hate math, the theory governing poker play is fascinating.
• No matter how well you table select, you'll inevitably find yourself in unique situations, and "with the theory in hand, you can personally analyze the specific circumstances that you find yourself in." (Killer Poker by the Numbers, pgs. xix-xx)
• You'll discover ways to extract even more money from the players you're already beating.
• You'll increase the population of players against whom you can expect to derive a long-term profit.
Tony Guerrera is the author of Killer Poker by the Numbers and Killer Poker Shorthanded (with John Vorhaus). Visit him online at www.killerev.com, and check out his weekly show, Killer Poker Analysis, on Rounder's Radio (www.roundersradio.com) Fridays from 5:00PM to 6:00PM Pacific Time.
