The Delicate Balance of Yin and Yang | Aces Up Wins!

11:39 AM ET 05.05 |

Yin yang are opposing

Yin yang describe opposing qualities in phenomena. For instance, winter is yin to summer's yang over the course of a year, and femininity is yin to masculinity's yang in human relationships. It is impossible to talk about yin or yang without some reference to the opposite.

Yin yang are rooted together

Since yin and yang are created together in a single movement, they are bound together as parts of a mutual whole. A race with only men or only women would disappear in a single generation, but men and women together create new generations that allow the race they mutually create (and mutually come from) to survive.The interaction of the two gives birth to things.^[2]

Yin yang transform each other

Like an undertow in the ocean, every advance is complemented by a retreat, and every rise transforms into a fall. Thus, a seed will sprout from the earth and grow upwards towards the sky - an intrinsically yang movement. Then when it reaches its full height, it will begin to weaken, and eventually will fall back to the earth in decay - an intrinsically yin movement. Yin always contains the potential for yang, and yang for yin.

Yin-yang are balanced

Yin-yang is a dynamic equilibrium. Because they arise together they are always equal: if one disappears, the other must disappear as well, leaving emptiness. This is rarely immediately apparent, though, because yang elements are clear and obvious while yin elements are hidden and subtle.

Yeah, I know, what does this have to do with poker, and why is in your first words. Simple answer actually. Everything about poker can be summed up with a study of Yin and Yang.

You want to win as much as you can in poker, but you don't want to risk so much that you will be crippled if you lose.

You want to get a great hand in poker, but you don't want it to be so obvious that everyone folds.

You want to maximize your profits, while at the same time protecting your current holdings.

You want to be completely honest in winning, while fooling everyone at the table.

You want everyone to think of you as a donkey, while you want to prove to them that you are a shark.

Yin and Yang exist universally, and cannot be ignored in any aspect of your life. And most assuredly, it cannot be ignored at the poker table. It is your job to find the balance between where you want to go, and what you are willing to risk. It is your job to figure out how good of a player you want to be, and what amount of study and practice (and loss) you are willing to put in to get to that level. It is your job to figure out how to balance the need to play to improve, and the need to devote time to the home, work and personal life. Everything about poker is a delicate balancing act.

I'm taking over for Gruden in the poker blog, and I hope you find the time to read the content I put forth. I don't plan to write every day, but I will post often enough to keep you interested.

See ya at the tables, and I hope you aren't down to the felt already when I get there.