Poker party, by David Mamet
The military axiom is "he who imposes the terms of the battle imposes the terms of the peace." The gambling equivalent is: "Don't call unless you could raise"; that is, to merely match one's opponent's bet is effective only if it makes the opponent question the caller's motives. And that can only occur if the caller has acted aggressively enough in the past to cause his opponents to wonder if the mere call is a ruse de guerre.
If you are branded as passive, the table will roll right over you — your opponents will steal antes without fear. Why? Because the addicted caller has never exhibited what, in the wider world, is known as courage.
In poker, one must have courage: the courage to bet, to back one's convictions, one's intuitions, one's understanding. There can be no victory without courage. The successful player must be willing to wager on likelihoods. Should he wait for absolutely risk-free certainty, he will win nothing, regardless of the cards he is dealt.
For those that don't know what I am talking about:
http://devel.diplom.org/BostonMassacre/
http://havoc.battlegroupboston.org/
http://www.unitygames.org/
http://www.swa-gaming.org/index.php
http://www.originsgames.com/
http://www.boardgamers.org/
Yeah, I'm a geek, shoot me.
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