Information has the ability to change the collective mindset of a population...I had the opportunity to sit down with my Kung Fu master's master. He's in his 60's, a Native American, and one hell of a fighting machine...10th degree black belt (the highest possible rank). He told me a great story about growing up in Watts/Los Angeles. "There's nothing worse than being a minority in a minority area." Just walking down the street was enough to get into a fight...and fight he did! He mentioned that before Bruce Lee came on the scene...nobody knew anything about blocking. Someone would start a fight with him and he'd just kick them right in the face, in the stomach, etc. After people started watching Bruce Lee flicks, everyone started to BLOCK. Even the most amateur of fighters knew the most basic of defensive measures.
I've put serious time and energy recently into learning the mechanics of the stock market, as well as starting to price real estate properties both in the states and in Costa Rica. I have a long-term plan in place as far as poker is concerned, but I also want to begin to diversify my talents and energies into other productive/profitable endeavors. Alongside owning (ideally in the future, several) poker training centers, managing and investing my personal investments...I'd like to own a Kung Fu studio in Costa Rica (where I plan on permanently moving in the next 5 to 10 years). So much is possible in the future...at this point I'm trying to arm myself with the skills to succeed as I look forward into the next phase of my life.
The first thing I learned in intro to Economics is..."The key to making money, sustainable profits is to...look for expanding markets." When I got into poker, I was partners in a water conservation business. As prices for commodities (water, energy, etc) were increasing, companies were doing anything and everything possible to cut costs. My uncle and I started a water conservation company for large-scale commercial operations like hospitals, colleges, prisons, etc. Before the water conservation business, I studied at the graduate level (environmental studies, economics) and was preparing to enter the hybrid vehicle market in some form or fashion. I was/am convinced that hybrid/efficient transportation is the wave of the future...I was looking to enter an expanding market.
Times are getting tougher and tougher by the day. The economy is going to turn upside down in the next 5 years. We are living in interesting and volatile times. Poker is going to be one of the businesses that has the ability (if given true free-market conditions) to continue to expand. Markets like Central/South America and Asia are almost completely closed to poker...and a poker boom in these regions is a great possibility. We all need to try and do our part to EXPAND THE POKER ECONOMY in any and all ways. Remember, poker isn't just a game, it's also a business!!!
When you're at the tables (especially live), you've got to be completely ruthless and cunning in regards to dealing with opponents. I keep seeing references to psychological conditions and states that relate in some form or fashion to poker. Below is a description of psychopaths from Barbara Oakley's Evil Genes (it seems I'm being called a "psycho" more and more as a compliment on and off the tables in regards to my poker game...interesting choice of words to say the least):
Psychopaths might best be described as "predators who use charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own selfish needs. Lacking in conscience and in feelings for others, they cold-bloodedly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret...
I always used to laugh when someone asked what I did for a living. I used to say I stole college kids' money for a living...I'd talk to my brother over the phone to get motivated before a session, "I'm going to destroy people's lives; ruin their careers, cause depression, make them bow down to my will, bring them to the lowest point they could ever imagine." My brother would laugh and scream like a football coach, "Do it Dave,...do it!"