A Deck Of Cards And You’ll Be Just Fine.

If you need a hobby during this time, learn a card game, play it, discover strategies, and master it. Think of it as training for retirement.

This author recognized the effect a deck of 52 cards can have on you. The realization came this afternoon while losing to my mother at Rummy. Here’s the heuristic:

You’ll be just fine if you possess a deck of cards in your home.

Learning a card game earns a lesson you’ll carry on through life. It forces you to adapt quickly because you’re competing with others (especially if they already know the game). Once the practice round ends and the real game begins, every thought becomes critical.

A couple maxims from a card playing veteran:

• Like life, luck is 100% involved.
• Skills are second though it wins the game.
• The investor Warren Buffet plays bridge eight hours a week.
• The more a game is played and nuances discovered, strategies must be formed.
• Play the hand you’re dealt with.
• It’s ok to lose. It’s not special to win. It’s not ok to cheat.
• No matter how smart you are, playing your parents is always difficult.
• A deck of cards in a room of strangers can turn into a room of pals.
• Have a poker face.
• Above all else, playing cards allows you to take risks. We rarely take enough but a good game gifts us the chance.

This author’s poker face is as good as Hobbes’

Play cards my friend. This author was a pro player since his visit to India at the age of 12.