Beating the Odds: Poker Strategies for Leading Projects and Winning at Work

by John Schroeder

Poker, like business, requires focusing on people, managing complexity, and having the courage to make difficult decisions. There is no recipe that can be followed to guarantee success. Beating the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0977441202
• ISBN13: 9780977441204
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Advanced Strategies Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Great Management Tool!

Great concept! Take a game that is popular and build business analogies that for the most part are "right on" around it. A quick read with lots of visuals, quotes and fun concepts. Yet, it has real business "meat" for someone who really doesn't want to read a "how to motivate" book on business. It is direct and understandable. I especially like the personality type analysis as it applies to achieving success. Understanding a person's personality type and personal goals in life can be a great help in motivating them in their work. How does that relate to poker? John makes the connection! Oh, by the way, will this book help you with your poker game? My guess is yes!

Certainly worth the gamble!

Beating the Odds took an exceptionally broad area (project managenet) and made it not only concise and understandable, but very entertaining. The true surprise for me was the enjoyability factor-this book seemed much funnier than your traditional business book while keeping the key elements simple. Schroeder's knowledge and presentation of the subject matter and his ability to make difficult concepts simple reminded me of some of the better business writers (Steven Covey, Peter Drucker, Jim Collins and Malcolm Gladwell come to mind). All this, and he loaded the book with poker references, both anecdotal and instructional, of which I couldn't get enough.

Beating the Odds

Beating the Odds proved to be easy reading but thought provoking. The numerous quotes and references to other writers was an effective way to tie previous knowledge to a current issue. A number of the strategies outlined had application to both business and personal relationships. Interesting reading. I plan to go through it again to be sure I didn't miss anything.

Interesting way to look at projects

As a bad poker player and a good project manager, I found Beating the Odds helpful in both areas. Traditionally, I am not a big fan of management books, but I found this one an easy read with a few good tools to be used every day. If you don't play poker, the metaphors might get a little old. Outside of that, I don't have any complaints. On the praise side, I specifically like the "cocktail napkin" tools. Sometimes as a project manager you can overlook the motivations and knowledge levels of other team members and these tools are very useful to think about the team alignment issues. Overall, a good read and worth the time and $$.

Success in poker and business have a lot in common

I must confess, before I read this book, I had no idea what Texas Hold Em poker is. Therefore, I was grateful when I saw the appendix where the rules were outlined, but to be honest, after reading them I am still uncertain about the game. However, that did not turn out to be a significant detriment, for the point of the book is that strategies that lead to success in poker can also be used to achieve success in life. *) Always have some idea what the odds for and against success are. Look at your cards (balance sheets) and make some realistic appraisals of what you need for success and the odds of filling those needs. *) Never rely on luck, although understand that it can happen to you and to your opponents. It is possible to get the one card that will give you the winning hand and it is possible that something will happen to boost your business or damage your competitor. However, neither is an effective long term strategy. *) If you do get lucky, take advantage of it, for it may not happen again. For example, if you are dealt a very powerful hand, play it well to maximize the amount you will win. If you are in a strong competitive position against your business rivals, exploit that position. *) Be courageous, nearly every successful business has a point in their past where one person made a very courageous decision that led to a major success. *) Like poker playing, running a business is a combination of having a plan of what to do as well as responding to conditions changing beyond your control. In poker, you need to know what you should do given certain cards, but you also need to be able to respond to uncertain information. For example, if you have a reliable sign that your opponent is bluffing, then it may be better to play your hand. In business, you need to be able to read signals from others and discern subtle information. *) Always, always, always keep emotions out of your bets (business decisions). While there is not a complete congruence between business and poker strategies, it is enough to make the book worth reading. I enjoyed the analogies and it caused me to wonder how many business leaders play cards and how well they play. I know that Bill Gates is an avid card player; if I am not mistaken he spent the bulk of his time while in college sitting in on poker games. I cannot recall ever hearing how well he did.