Knowing When to Hold ‘Em

Resolve—the noun—is a really cool word. It’s like something has been solved twice: re-solved, if you will. Having a little resolve, then, means having solved something twice, right?

The truth is that resolve comes from Latin, where solvere means something like to loosen or to untie. Re- in this sense means going back, so resolving something would be loosening a knot (say) back to its unbound state.

I’m thinking about resolve because I’m thinking about Texas Hold ‘Em Poker.

If you’re playing with a group and you get a good hand, there’s a temptation to fold at the first sign of a significant raise. You won’t get a chance to take everyone’s money if you chicken out, and the other players know this.

Don’t get me wrong: there is certainly a time to fold when you’re sittin’ at the table. If you have a bad hand, doubling down and bluffing may well backfire. You’ve got to know when to fold ‘em, as the old song goes.

The more common mistake is when people don’t use their resolve. They never get to go back and untie their anxiety, so they become subordinate to it.

People are good at avoiding peril, and that’s a good thing! But there are times when it makes sense to stay in and take that risk with those pocket aces. There are times when it’s worth risking your life to try to kill that bison, since you might not see another bison for weeks and your family is hungry right now.

You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, too.