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Poker: Significant Experience Personal Essay


Dane789 1 / 3  
Sep 22, 2010   #1
Prompt: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. (500 word limit)

Any feedback you give is appreciated, thanks.

With seven-two offsuit, "pushing all in" would have been considered insane by any veteran poker player; but these poker experts didn't know what I knew. For months I had stared at the computer monitor in my kitchen playing, mind you, not online poker with real money, but instead an early version of computer poker considered a fossil by today's standards. I even achieved a moderate success that could only be described as a triumph of the preadolescent mind. To win the World Series of Poker would require no less than total commitment to my gambling cause. And so I pressed my nose harder against the grindstone and worked to further hone my skill as a poker player - which was, at that time, about as dull as the hand that cuts the card deck.

Mastery of poker strategy, as I quickly discovered, is more than the average kindergartener (like myself) could achieve. Despite months of regimented practice, and a worn-out computer mouse to show for it, I had not ascended the summit of poker proficiency. Clearly this approach would not lead to the success that I expected myself to garner. I had to find another method of beating this omnipotent dealer. A quick look at my chips would divulge that my losing streaks were long statements of my mediocrity, punctuated in brevity with winning rounds that seemed to appear with a marked regularity.

A pattern emerged: on every eleventh round even the worst hand of cards will win the pot.

Instantly, I was folding every round except the eleventh; and soon, I was certainly the world's wealthiest cyber-billionaire.

At that time I was happy enough with my dad thinking of me as a poker prodigy, and it took me several years of maturity to realize the magnitude of my discovery. Simply outwitting the programming of a 1990's computer poker program was not a feat in itself, but finding that pattern in the game and recognizing the benefit that it brought was my first experience with the wonders of "outside the box" thinking.

Being observant doesn't require thought. Thinking outside the box, although sounding trite, is the creative perception of non-readily observable ideas. Yes, I could have seen the pattern of the program by merely having an observant eye; but success in the game was the reward of creative thinking that utilized the pattern to play the game in an unconventional manner.

I found the secret to being successful and reaching my full potential in a lesson from the game of poker: a lesson about thinking outside the box - divergent thinking - to discover what works within of the bounds of the rules, even if it means defying conventional actions. In the case of 1990's computer poker, success depended on thinking beyond what was considered the correct way to play the game. In the same way, my success in life and the business world will hinge on my ability to defy traditional methods of thought to turn a gamble into a sure win.
Shadow93 9 / 40  
Sep 23, 2010   #2
I enjoyed the first half of your essay tremendously. However, I felt that the 2nd part, starting with "At that time..." lost the magical narrative that carried your story and message. It isn't bad by any standard, but if you really want to push it, I recommend rewriting it to make it more personal.

For instance, instead of talking about Copernicus or what not, talk more about the act of "thinking outside the box," what does it mean in todays world? What are the challenges that accompany that sort of attitude (i.e. rubbing against the grain of society with revolutionary ideas?)

You might even want to continue the narrative by talking about why your ability to spot patterns is considered outside of the box thinking. Is it really outside of the box or is it just being more observant? There is a slight difference and they lead to different things. How did this realization affect you?

Always remember, this essay is about YOU, not about Copernicus, not about society, but about how YOU see them and what YOU want to see happen~

Good luck ^_^
OP Dane789 1 / 3  
Sep 23, 2010   #3
Thanks so much for the help! I had a harder time writing the second part of the essay, and I agree that I did digress from the main purpose of the essay. I'll definitely attempt to make it more personal in my next rewrite.

Good luck with Brown!
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Sep 26, 2010   #4
Simply outwitting the simplistic programming of a 1990's computer poker---- I think it is better without this word.

Thus, I found the secret to being successful and reaching my full potential. I take from that poker game the knowledge to think outside the box - divergent thinking - to discover what works within of the bounds of the rules, even if it means defying conventional actions.

For this part, I would like it better this way:
I found the secret to being successful and reaching my full potential in a lesson from the game of poker a lesson about thinking outside the box - divergent thinking - to discover what works within of the bounds of the rules, even if it means defying conventional actions.

This is a good idea for an essay! Can you make a connection between poker and the field of study that interests you?
OP Dane789 1 / 3  
Sep 27, 2010   #5
I rewrote the essay and incorporated the ideas that you both had. I think it's cleaned up a bit, and I touched the 500 word limit. Thanks again!
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Oct 1, 2010   #6
Nice, it's great! This reads like a good novel in the first person, and it has a little bit of meandering digression like an essay should. I think the reader will appreciate this.

I like your explanation for thinking outside the box.

Ever seen the "four lines" game about thinking outside the box -- well not really a game, but a challenge.
Ask enough people to try this and you will find someone who figures it out right away. It's a test for thinking outside the box.

Draw 9 dots on a sheet of paper using 3 rows of 3. It should form a big box in the center of the paper with the circles about an inch apart from each other.

O O O
O O O
O O O

Find a way to draw 4 STRAIGHT lines that will intersect all 9 dots, but you cannot pick the pen up off the page.


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