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Horseplay Discoveries (Office Tourneys - 10 Reasons to Hire at the Poker Table, Part 2)

Mike van Zandwijk — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:40:00 -0700

Earlier in part 1, you gathered an inclusive field beyond just applicants. All ready to compete at poker tournament tables in your office, maybe their future workplace. Your chance to find out who truly qualifies for an opening, dealing with tough competition and friendly coworkers.

Poker offers you great insights of the players' inner workings. Each hand presents an unique situation, resembling the many parameters you consider daily to make ultimate decisions. In fact, the only constant you face is ... change.

You want professionals who manage these dynamics. Your best option to test the required level of flexibility in poker? Switch to HORSE.

Texas Hold'em captivates millions of spectators and players around the globe for over 4-5 years. You'd almost overlook the many other exciting poker games, due to huge media attention of this well-known variation.

Part of the popular community card poker family, Hold'em seems like an obvious choice for your event. It's easy to learn, packed with action and fun to play and watch. Still, if you like to put everyone's elasticity to the test, I recommend to boost your office tourney by playing H.O.R.S.E:

Hold'em (2 hidden hole cards and 5 community cards)
Omaha (like Hold'em, but on steroids with 4 hidden hole cards)
Razz (also known as 7-card stud low: lowest hand wins)
Stud (or 7-card stud high: reversed razz, no community cards either)
Eights-or-Better (simply put: razz and stud combined or stud hi/lo)

As illustrated in the introductory, all players start with fictional money to invest wisely. Three limit types determine the maximum value of bets and raises. Usually, HORSE limits players to only bet a fixed amount of chips, while no-limit Hold'em provides most thrilling moves like shoving all-in. Mix up game variants and limits and you'll perceive the Fourth to Sixth ~~Sense~~ Reason to Hire at the Poker Table:

4: Recruit your real ace - the All-round Competent Enthusiast
5: Spot flexibility and limitations while coping with change
6: Sense interpersonal skills: respect, empathy and persuasion

Versatile Stud or One-Trick-Pony in Horseplay Discoveries

Switching jobs impacts lives. Amazing how professionals decide on such huge changes in static meeting rooms. Poker simulates the dynamics you face every day. Your opportunity to fill in missing pieces for your team at the poker table.

Your lineup resembles a live chessboard. Managerial kings and queens aligned with e.g. bouncy knights and dedicated pawns. Similar to poker, their value depends on situations and positions, yet all contribute to achieve your overall strategy.

4: Recruit your real ace - the All-round Competent Enthusiast

Sole expert knowledge rarely suffices to get the job (done). I concur with the author of From Good to Great; you first need the right people before you figure out to adjust directions in this changing world. Joel portrays these superstars as smart and get things done. If you combine these principles with Collin's Hedgehog Concept, you hire the real aces:

All-rounders who make a difference with energy and passion. You can still subcontract a temporary for specialized tasks outside your core business. Unmask your true heroes while playing horse, the rotation game between the five poker variants. Mixing games reduces the edge of a specialist and proves the versatility of overall champs.

5: Spot flexibility and limitations while coping with change

When your office tourney rotates to razz, even decent poker players will struggle with this game. They might prefer to play horse, but stick to all poker variations; your chance to probe their learning curve too. At the same time, you test everyone's ability to manage constant change.

Players make different choices if unfamiliar with certain game types. They might decide to just wait, pay antes and compensate at a later stage. Others will take advantage of this conservative style and accumulate chips by raising the stakes to 'steal dead money'.

Compare this legitimate poker tactic with a wink at snatching budget remaining at the end of a fiscal year. Use it or it's withdrawn.

Limits influence the action as well. Fixed bets tempt contenders to play more hands, but you also like to see their performance when no limits apply. Pot limit requires more counting to award chips to the winner. You'd designate your staff as dealers and let them question candidates about skills relevant to the profession. Vary poker games to prove their agility or at least mix the limits in case you persist to pure Hold'em.

6: Sense interpersonal skills: respect, empathy and persuasion

Just scan the folks sitting at a poker table and you'll notice the accurate reflection of society. Promising youngsters, seasoned old-timers and all the men or women in between. Poker's competitive nature emerges just as much playing against strangers as with friends. You still call for civilized players showing honest respect to every single person ...

... so yes, that certainly includes competitors just as well as friends. Consider your office tourney as a home poker tournament; a social event where you thrive friendly relationships. Building rapport is key for connecting with other persons, helping you understand what floats through another mind. Reading tells in poker works quite similar. You'd think magic occurs when a great pro declares opponent's hole cards.

Chemistry triggers a similar emotion for interacting people. Wonderful feeling indeed, still neither miraculous. Basically, this all boils down to good ol' empathy. Relating to your competitors, colleagues and clients facilitates in seeing their point of view in a matching pace. Once you genuinely care, your counterparts open up and give attention to your perspectives in return; you receive permission to persuade.

Continue » Subliminal Salesforce
(scheduled for Jan'08 - Happy Holidays!)

About the author (and publishing frequency)

Thanks for giving your valuable attention. I'm Mike van Zandwijk and strive to write new articles every 2-3 weeks on RoyalFlop. Subscribe to receive new, free content like the third part in the Office Tourneys series. We rather publish more frequently and appeal to passionate, talented writers. Are you interested?

Office Tourneys - 10 Reasons to Hire at the Poker Table (Part 1: Introduction & Discipline)

Mike van Zandwijk — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:34:00 -0700

Job interviews involve high levels of stress and organization. Once human resources lined up everyone's busy agendas, all candidates surely strive to impress the hiring committee. These tense meetings restrain you from truly validating fine qualities, addressed to just a partial, internal audience anyway.

Wouldn't you rather examine which qualified applicants get along in a realistic setting? With people you both face constantly: competitors, coworkers and first and foremost … potential customers. Dig into RoyalFlop's refreshing concept of Office Tourneys. Appoint your most powerful team right at the poker tables. Remember closely, everyone's in your subliminal sales force!

Let's say you need one or more positions filled for your department, like reinforcement of your customer service, engineering or marketing team. Perhaps you rather subcontract consultants or substitute project staff.

Instead of going through your usual hiring hassle for each applicant, you simply arrange one event and gather all interested parties together. Host this happening at the office, providing sufficient room for poker tables to seat each participant. That's right, you'll discover your best recruits while playing the most empathetic game of the world.

Poker as such truly embodies life and tournaments represent living in a business world even more; only the top survivors succeed. Grant all players starting chips, symbolizing company money, like their budget, salary or venture capital and observe how they use their assets to deal with yours. Enjoy this first series in Office Tourneys:

10 Reasons to Hire at the Poker Table

1: Meet imminent connections in their natural habitat
2: Authenticate self- and general awareness while learning
3: Determine proper behavior through successes and setbacks
4: Recruit your real ace - the All-round Competent Enthusiast
5: Spot flexibility and limitations while coping with change
6: Sense interpersonal skills: respect, empathy and persuasion

Part 3: Subliminal Salesforce discloses the last 4 reasons
(scheduled for January 2008)

Stake Out Like Mad: Mentality, Awareness and Discipline

Just like a smart job interviewer, you ought to ease your guests first. Speak succinctly about unique attributes of your organization. Reassure poker knowledge is no prerequisite to prevail but akin to business, your soft skills and acumen make the difference to qualify for the job.

1: Meet imminent connections in their natural habitat

Traditionally, only one job candidate at a time sits down at the meeting table with one or two associates. Nice if you connect, but an office poker tourney presents your magic bullet: an inclusive field with both their as your potential colleagues and competitors. They will start elsewhere if they won't get the job, probably at your rival, perhaps as your customer.

2: Authenticate self- and general awareness while learning

Everyone learns. Even if you're adept in your profession, you still need to adapt to particular situations at hand. Recruits face new people, policies and in essence a culture. Playing poker shows exactly how players pick up information. Ramp up newcomers to the game in a brief training by those who consider themselves experienced. Soon you know who's able to explain clearly, absorb knowledge timely and use both wisely.

3: Determine proper behavior through successes and setbacks

Basically, each person acts and thinks differently influenced by two mental states: in comfort or in distress. Surely, you aim to develop and maintain a successful team as a coach would. Although players need distinct qualities for their position, your whole crew must share what's fundamental to business, sports and life at large: discipline.

Poker points out exactly this mastery, regardless of the person's state. Notice if trailing players go on tilt or rather show composure and strive to rebound in style. You ask for a graceful winning mentality surpassing professional conduct. Call it business sportsmanship. Find employees with the right attitude!

Continue » Horseplay Discoveries

Hatching the Golden Egg to Advance Poker Amateurs. Looking Back to Move Forwards

Mike van Zandwijk — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:25:00 -0700

Poker on TV still plays a significant role for the mainstream popularity of this brilliant game. Amateurs usually qualify online to earn a seat for those televised events like the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Surviving numerous virtual or brick-and-mortar tables requires ever evolving skills. Many talents you already own and apply to your business career and personal daily life.

No wonder poker amateurs come first in main events as well as here at RoyalFlop. Relive the last five world champions, then move ahead by taking advantage of the golden egg which actually initiated the poker boost.

Ever more, I wonder if poker is debated more than it is truly played. While poker supporters safeguard the future as sport of skill, others argue whether it's a game of chance and just a hype. Although nobody knows the exact origin of poker, the media boomed the game to an international, mass audience. Surely, poker is here to stay, yet settling on the key initiator is like the chicken and egg problem: what came first?

Prime Mover Who Laid Columbus' Egg of Poker

Broad coverage on TV, Internet poker rooms, video games, renowned players; all contribute to the vital, ongoing support and promotion of poker. Perfect instruments to enjoy watching others (how to) play cards, but also to improve your own game and learn new skills.

The individual to really credit is a man you might consider as the poker equivalent of the egg of Columbus; however, you probably never heard of him before. Mr. Orenstein invented the hole card camera, also known as the pocket cam. He received patent a year after his invention in 1995. Strangely, two more years passed by until the first TV show applied his grand innovation.

Hole card cam entering into the World Series of Poker

The first televised WSOP event using the pocket cam occurred in 2002. Semipro poker player and investor banker Robert Varkonyi ultimately won the main event in a field with 631 entrants, only 18 more players than previous year. This golden egg appealed to viewers, but also to participants of the 2003 event; the winner had to beat 33% additional opponents. Amateur Chris Moneymaker defeated 838 players earning him $2,500,000. Instead of paying the $10,000 buy-in, the onetime accountant qualified online via a $39 (satellite) tourney at PokerStars.

Online qualifier strength echoed by patent attorney Greg Raymer

Recreational players identified with Moneymaker's victory, resulting in a staggering 2,576 entrants for the 2004 main event. Last man standing turned out Greg Raymer and collected a dazzling $5,000,000 first prize. Raymer, formerly patent attorney, reinforced the image of online qualified amateurs as serious contender and world champion.

Trend of Amateurs Dominating the World Series Continues

Unlike the two previous Internet qualifiers, Joe Hachem paid his full buy-in to the 2005 main event. Most likely, still his most profitable investment, because the retired chiropractor yielded 750 times his $10K entry fee.

The upward field of opponents peaks in 2006 with an incredible number of nearly 8,800 players, resulting in a $12,000,000 reward for the final champion. TV producer Jamie Gold engaged professional poker player and legend Johnny Chan as coach to guide Gold to his historic victory.

Main event field shrinks, amateur champ pledges 10% to charity

The 2007 main event experienced a rare decline in participants, which only occurred once before in the WSOP history (in 1992). Nonetheless, psychologist and social worker Jerry Yang pledged a tenth of his first prize winnings to three different foundations, bravo!

Think interest in poker currently deflates? Better reconsider!

Don't simply believe this year's decrease in main event participants demonstrates any shrinking interest in poker. In fact, the total number of registrants for the 2007 WSOP set a record at 54,288 players. Rather petition against ridiculous laws, which banned many citizens to qualify online for a main event seat. People like you and me, who'd love to put their skills to the test or appreciate watching amateurs' strength unfold.

Develop Poker Skills with Business Talents All Together

Evidently, professional poker players struggle to reclaim championship in the WSOP from unknown, but skilled and victorious amateurs. Pocket cams show you how to play the game, but also how others play their hands. Take advantage of these insights and improve your poker expertise. Still, Orenstein's invention can't teach you certain vital skills.

At this point, put your business talents into action, like discipline, money management, risk assessment and stamina just to name a few.

There's simply no game that represents life at large like poker.

Relax restrictions else what's next, ban living? Let's hatch!

About the author

Hi, I'm Mike van Zandwijk, editor of RoyalFlop, amateur poker player and in my daily life CEO of my strategy and communication company. I'd love to hear from you, so please send me your thoughts, questions and comments. [full profile]

Coming up next

Office Tourneys - 10 Reasons to Hire at the Poker Table
Tap Into Your CFO Skills for Healthy Bankroll Management
Replay: Winning From Loose Cannons with Tight Aggressive Play

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Celebrating the Launch of RoyalFlop! Join the Party and Enjoy the Sweet Taste of Winning

Mike van Zandwijk — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:30:00 -0700

Poker is by far the most popular card game to date with millions of enthusiasts around the globe. Novice and experienced players love to learn new skills and strategies to improve their game on a regular basis.

Unluckily, many sources prevent you from grasping the essence using overwhelming jargon to touch both the basics as well as the complexities of this fascinating game. You want to absorb useful insights in a clear and compelling way with perspectives you can easily relate to: your knowledge and experience in business life.

Discover this different and exciting approach exclusively at RoyalFlop.

Today, we celebrate the official launch of our web site. You're invited, so join the party and stay tuned to:

Advance your game and skills in a playful way
Beat your competition by outclassing in style and win buy-in
Connect with a rising society to grow your network

Passion for Poker - a Classic Amateur's Story

In 2005, I stumbled across this show on Dutch television with grungy looking people playing a card game in a shabby UK basement. The top right corner of my screen displayed a logo that said Late Night Poker. I never really enjoyed watching a live poker game because most of the time, players opted not to show their (hole) cards after winning an uncontested pot. Just before I decided to zap, something suddenly grabbed my attention ... a tiny table camera revealed the players' cards in advance, finally making all of us true spectators of the action!

Each player peeked at just two cards dealt face down. I tossed the remote aside and continued watching to figure out this poker variation by keeping a close eye to these pocket cams. Quite a revelation, literally. Despite this innovative view, the game denoted as Texas Hold'em still puzzled me. I felt pretty sleepy after a long return-of-investment (ROI) discussion in the office, but jumped up curiously to visit web sites of the sponsors.

Virtual Practice to Measure Up with Real Life Virtuosos

A welcome surprise appeared right on my monitor: free software to play and learn online without investing or risking any real money, sweet! Within five minutes, I created my account and downloaded the program, ready to explore the game over the Internet.

The next months, I also bought books about poker in addition to my usual business orders. My bookmarks grew rapidly with links to poker strategy articles. Together with friends, we started organizing monthly tournaments at home. Lately, we watch movies like Rounders and taped recordings of annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). We discuss passionately about notable players and interesting hands while we play to learn, improve and ultimately master the game.

Growing Community Open to Everybody

Regular visiting friends evolve their game that way constantly and invite newcomers to join in the fun. My buddies bring their pals or colleagues and pleasing new friendships arise. Everyone helps out beginners by playing plenty of hands with cards open and explain certain situations, reveal successful strategies and write down the basics. They pick up the game with a steep learning curve considering the diversity of all our skills and backgrounds.

Within a year, the monthly home tournaments consisted of players with occupations ranging from executive- to police officers. Bright consultants and brave soldiers, from young students to retired business owners, social workers, clever engineers, shrewd sales reps and capable managers. Distinct men and women each with unique professional expertise, yet all sharing the same passion for poker: the birth of the RoyalFlop society.

Nice (hi)story, now what about the future?

You might find an overpowering amount of poker information in the media, but virtually none really appeal to your mind. Experience the new and engaging approach to advance your business talent into poker and vice versa, right here at RoyalFlop. We remix all classic ingredients which most amateur's story touches:

Watching analyzed videos, enhanced with insightful perspectives
Interacting with your fellow society members
Navigating your way through strong competition

Welcome and GoodBuy - Enjoy the Sweets in Style

Say 'GoodBuy' to entry fees by winning quarterly contests. RoyalFlop sponsors your buy-in to ever challenging events together with partners. Help spreading the word and take or develop Academy classes. Participate in hand analysis discussions or submit your own.
Get started now and within a 2-3 years road map, we want to see you succeed in major tournaments without investing a dime, sweet!

After all, shabby basements and ditto players are passé - the era of stylish poker players with class just begun.

Upcoming articles

Soon: Hatching the Golden Egg to Advance Poker Amateurs
Next: Office Tourneys - 10 Reasons to Hire at the Poker Table
Later: Tap Into Your CFO Skills for Healthy Bankroll Management

About the author

Hi, I'm Mike van Zandwijk, founder and editor in chief of RoyalFlop to help people learn and improve their business and poker strategy. Professionally, I'm all-round consultant and entrepreneur at my own company [more]