I love using metaphors- figures of speech in which a word denoting one thing is used in place of another to suggest a similarity between them. A classic example often cited is, "The ship plowed the sea." Now, a ship doesn't actually plow the sea, but the similarity is quite striking. You get the picture!
Our game of poker is full of metaphors. We use metaphors without realizing it. For example, a monster hand is not really a monster-an animal of strange or terrifying shape. Nor is a monster pot. In fact, we love to win those. It may be strange in that it is rare, but it certainly does not terrify us.
And when the board brings you the nuts, it's exciting, but we all know it's not really a dry fruit or seed with a hard shell. Nor is it an eccentric person. How did we get to label five cards in sequence a straight, which literally is something that is free of curves, bends or angles? Use your imagination. A draw to a flush-four cards of the same suit-has lots of outs (as many as nine). Lots of metaphors here: draw, flush, outs, suits . . .
Wanted: Unique Metaphors. But I wanted to find some unique metaphors that we can apply to the game of poker-not the ones we already use, usually without even realizing that they are metaphors. So I offered my 12-year-old granddaughter, Esther Fayla Epstein, a challenge. She knows the game of poker quite well. (In fact, she gets credit for the Esther Bluff that is so powerful!) She came up with three beauties. My reaction when she presented these to me: Wow! Great! I'll share them with you: A successful bluff is the rainbow at the end of a storm.
The rainbow at the end of a storm is beautiful to behold. Awesome! It makes you feel good . . . just as you do when your bluff succeeds. You just took a pot when you did not hold the best hand. Exciting! Inspiring! The chips you just earned are all the more beautiful for your accomplishment.
(In fact, the words pot and chips in a poker game originated as metaphors.) I split the apple by drawing to an inside straight.
I won't comment on Esther's second poker metaphor, leaving it to your imagination to "see" the similarity between cutting an apple in half and going for an inside straight. His poker face was a porcelain mask.
As for the third, certainly a porcelain mask is a great metaphor for a poker face. Porcelain implies a hard ceramic and a mask serves to conceal your emotions. Never give your opponent information that he can use against you. If you don't have a poker face, you may be giving him or her a tell. (Yes, tell is another metaphor.
When you recognize a tell, your opponent is providing information-just as if you were being told about his hand.) A Challenge for You. Here's my challenge to you, the readers of Poker Player. Send me your best poker metaphor. It must be unique-not in current usage. Esther and I will select the best one. The prize will be a signed copy of my hold'em algorithm booklet (it's awesome!).
I will be the sole judge and jury, and I will have the right to publish your poker metaphor, including your full name and city. Send to geps222@msn.com. Please include your mailing address and how you would like the book signed to you.
George "The Engineer" Epstein is the author of The Greatest Book of Poker for Winners! and Hold'em or Fold'em?-An Algorithm for Making the Key Decision and teaches poker at the Claude Pepper Sr. Citizen Center in Los Angeles.
