Life of an Artist

Dunno if this spawned out of boredom or something else, but I hope it makes for a good read.


Life of an Artist

In my puny excuse of a poker career, I've become to understand that poker is an art. Playing poker is making art. A hand in poker is a piece of the art, as an artist's stroke in a painting. The style of the art can vary on certain centuries, decades, sometimes even years and the style we choose, determines the players we can become and whether our art will be famous or not.

The Grand Design
An artist, painting a picture of nature shapes the picture as the nature shapes itself. It's constantly changing, even if by small bits as the strokes of the brush eternalize the beauty of this complex design. Gushs of wind change the shape and posture of the trees and grass and the painter will adjust his work to his conditions. Occasionally, there will rain and the paintings will get wet or fade away, but the artist knows that what flows within his veins, cannot be destroyed by a simple act of nature and he knows that the sun will shine again.

And what it has to do with poker
Poker, in so many ways is similar to this art. Every stroke of an artists can be a hand in poker or a part of it. As poker player plays, he learns about his constantly changing environment, he captures the essense of it and utilizes it in his advantage while architechturing the perfect design for each hand. The player realizes that it is the design that is important, not yet the exact outcome. The sudden thunderstorms sometimes ruin the work of the player, but after a storm, there comes the light again.

Perhaps one of the most artistic game of all, No Limit Hold'em, gives the artist a freedom not many games give. Manipulation of the design within the boundaries of nature is only limited by the imagination of the player. Whether his style is one of a child, whether it's similar to Picasso's abstrakt art, perhaps it's less modern, satanistic, or otherwise aggressive, or maybe it's recreational. Sometimes it can be like a painting of a calm weather, just hanging around, calling to the river. So how does the style contribute to the cause of a player?

Styles of Artistry

Children's art


Perhaps the most common in the low limit games is children's art. While the stakes sink lower and lower, eventually hitting the bottom. This doesn't take away the fact that it's still an art. When children draw, they have a reasoning to it. Each symbol represents an object, some simplified, some even hard to understand, because of the lack of structure in the painting. In this contest of arts, Picasso will probably left the poor children weeping. Whilst this is cruel, it also demonstrates a point:

Even the most absurd plays by these children are designed. Some more, some less. There's a reason behind these designs and figuring out that design will help exploiting it as a weakness. Too many players jump right into the conclusion of the art being bad and not worth looking at or thinking about it.

Common day artist


Then there are common day artists. They sometimes draw to their notebooks on lectures, but aren't really artists of nature. They have ideas of what they'll draw, but never put too much effort into it. Their art is often very understandable and easy to read. Some are better at this art than others, but this is the category, often referred to as "nothing special".

The artists in this group have a slight idea and understanding of the ideas of the art, but fail to imply creativity to their work and are easy to interpret and exploit.

Specialized artist

Specialized artists take the common day artistry on to the next level. They have a very good idea of the concepts they're drawing and start to grasp why they have to be drawn. Their work is clinically very correct and a candy for eyes to see, but is limited by the lack of creativity on many parts.

Specialized artists utilize the commonly known tools for use and are hard to exploit, but often end up not making the spotlight of the poker world.

Modern Artists


Modern artists are what today's poker world is all about. They know the art they're drawing, their understanding exceeds those of Specialized. They work can sometimes be incomprehensible, but still beautiful. They understand why strokes have to be drawn and what their effect is in the flow of the game.

Modern artists, often very creative utilize the tools known to the players in common and use them to create something creative and new. This utilization is often misread by many of the players as it can be confusing at times.

Abstract Artists

Abstract artists are the final class of artistry. They take one step further from the normal modern artists. Their view on the game shapes as they shape the game by their view, instead of letting the game shape them. By taking the faith into their own hands, they shape their work and game to be one of their choosing. The work they do can often be very confusing but still for some reason fascinating. Many of these artistic talents make it to the spotlight by renewing what is commonly known as knowledge.

Unpredictable, genious. That's a combination what you're looking at in the case of these players. They utilize their creativity to serve their purpose and change the flow of the entire table by making the strokes nobody dared or realized to make before.

Finding your own style
Practice in these artistry matters will teach you to find out your own style and where you feel most comfortable at. It is important to realize that art, even though the most simple there can be, still has a purpose and finding out that purpose can help you be better in your art, and in poker terms, make money. Find your own style, draw the strokes and know why they're drawn and not just how. You'll evolve as a player and create your own grand design. And remember that by the strokes you make earlier, affect the ones you'll do later to perfect your work.

Cheers.

--Muhweli

Interesting

nice post

Are you high?

didn't even read it but scrolling down is enough to say this is some quality stuff. very nice work man.

This is probably the worst anology I have ever encountered.

poker is many things, but it is not art, and those who believe it is art are simply fooling themselves.

i like the first painting

On August 14 2006 08:44 Oxy wrote: poker is many things, but it is not art, and those who believe it is art are simply fooling themselves.

Says the sng-player!

On August 14 2006 08:44 Oxy wrote: poker is many things, but it is not art, and those who believe it is art are simply fooling themselves.

Is this like coming from a pushbot or an idiot.

I think that anything in which original style and own ideas can prevail, can be called an art of sorts. If you're doin' pushbot math or playing Fixed Limit, you might be more correct to a certain extent, but building up ingenious bluffs in the course of many hands and taking the game to the next level of thinking is an art, whether you acknowledge it or not.

Ty.

On August 14 2006 08:36 SakiSaki wrote: This is probably the worst anology I have ever encountered.

I can think of a few worse.

hey lets sit around and argue over conceptual categories that have nothing to do with anything except themselves, sweet

lmao wtf

A system of principles and methods employed in the performance of a set of activities: the art of building.
A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: the art of the lexicographer.

Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith's art.
Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties:

On August 14 2006 08:26 The72o wrote: Are you high?

ROFL

that is exactly what i thought when i started reading this.

hahaha

i like u should write more articles on bankroll management and not this.

I don't understand what everyone's obsession with the word "art" is. It seems anyone who does something, whatever it is, wants to claim that it's "art." Maybe they're lost and trying to give personal meaning to what they do? By claiming that it's art? I don't know. (Not singling you out Muhweli I'm just speculating as to this behavior in general)

If you want to make that argument then ok, I guess every last human activity is art, and if so then you've succeeded in making one of our words completely useless.

If you ask me, poker is not art. Neither is math, neither is chess. Playing videogames isn't art, playing basketball isn't art. For the purposes of the English language, art is and always will be: painting, sculpting, drawing, composing, etc. I just think it's unfortunate that Webster's hasn't found the proper words to define the word "art" accurately without making it so vague as to encompass the entire spectrum of human activity.

But when I use the word "art" in conversation, people understand what I'm talking about, and I guess that's good enough for me.

All that aside, I really enjoyed your article, Muhweli. Whether I agree or disagree, all your articles are very well-written and always get me thinking. Thanks.

On August 14 2006 07:22 Muhweli wrote:

lmfao

i see the similarities.

Muhwelli, although you went way tooo far with a simple idea that most people know, with this reasoning and calculation you brought to the table, I think you should be playing higher stakes

funny as hell man, great post

On August 14 2006 15:53 iamalex wrote: Show nested quote + On August 14 2006 07:22 Muhweli wrote: lmfao i see the similarities.

Rainbow.. and he..'s ... flopping... like a .. fish ... I GET IT!


I wanna color a picture now.

btw, from now on I'm calling myself a poker artist