My wife and I taught our daughter how to play cards as soon as she was able to hold them. We spent countless hours as a family playing Uno over and over again. She’s actually a very good player at many games though now that she’s a teenager isn’t as interested in playing with her parents as we’d like.
Sigh.
Looking back, I have good memories of helping her learn how to play and learn the art of holding her cards. It’s difficult for young players with small hands. When you first teach a child you play with the cards face up on the table and you talk through the choices they can make. Eventually they are holding the cards, but are not super diligent about keeping them out of view from the other players.
I’m sure she got absolutely sick of hearing us say, “Hide your cards.”
Playing card games with others is an interesting way to get to know them. People will reveal their true selves. If you want to see how someone handles ups and downs and emotional highs and lows play a game of poker with them. Do they lose graciously or get angry? Do they gloat when they when or stay humble? Do they enjoy themselves and the company or was it a tense experience?
“I believe that poker is a people game played with cards, not just a card game played by people.” —Juan Carlos Mortensen
Cards make a good metaphor for other things in life as well. Such as when we told our daughter to hide her cards it’s also teaching her to put a healthy wall around what people get to know, and when they get to know it.
Do you hide your cards around money? I’m not talking about keeping money an unspoken taboo…to our detriment, most of us do that on some level. I’m talking about knowing when to share and when to be quiet.
“Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life, but it is also merely a game in which money is simply the means of keeping score.” —Anthony Holden
In poker, the other player can always choose to see your cards. They just have to call the bet. In life, before you show your cards, have you made sure the other player has contributed to the hand? Have you ever offered someone a discount before they’ve even expressed an opinion about your price? That would be showing your cards.
It’s also showing your cards if, right up front, you try to handle and talk about every objection your customer might have. In that case, showing your hand gives them things to worry about they hadn’t even thought of.
There’s some interesting money anchors in play there.
Be judicious about when you show your cards and you will have cleaner and clearer transactions. And you won’t be giving yourself away.
Want me to come and speak to your business, club, church, or school about money anchors, clearing thinking patterns, and leading with creativity send me an email at garrett@garretthope.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the money anchors that are holding you to stationary in life. Take my FREE Money Relationship Quiz to get started.