The Poker Wisdom of Omar and The Wire

“Recall how often in human history the saint and the rebel have been the same person.”
–Rollo May

It’s been 5 years since I wrote anything about poker, so I thought it was time to get back to the roots of this blog and extract some poker wisdom from the greatest character in the greatest show of all time.  That’s right, it’s time for some quotes from Omar Little, the Robin Hood of the Baltimore streets, the noble stick-up kid and champion of “the road less traveled.” For me, The Wire transcends television… the show is so good that it goes far beyond the topics it addresses and offers up eternal truths that give us insight into how we should live our lives. Much like Hamlet is about much more than a Prince’s struggle to avenge his Father’s murder, the Wire is about much more than the problems of an American city.

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Thoughts on Expertise (part 1): Beating Mike Tyson

“If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an ‘artless art’ growing out of the Unconscious.”
–Daisetz T. Suzuki

I’m not really sure why, but I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of “expertise”.  What does it mean to be an expert in something?  Should I strive to become an expert in something?  Do “experts” tap into some kind of wisdom that non-experts never experience?  Am I an expert in anything?  How do you become “master of your domain“?

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