Everything I know about Project Management, I learned from playing Poker

Well... this might not be exactly true... but it sounded real good. I want to thank my good online neighbor Meggy (http://thoughtsfromaficklemind.blogspot.com) for that idea. I just couldn't get over the fact that she actually had the different Poker combinations posted on her cubicle. Franco was probably the instigator of this.
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Ok, so here are some pretty nice ramblings on the similarities of Project Management work with Poker.

• "You play the hand that you are dealt." You will never always get a good hand at Poker (unless of course, you cheat). It's all in how you arrange your hand that matters. In the same way, a Project Manager will never always get the best project team. What matters is making the most out of your team. Get there strengths and use it to your advantage. Project teams are unique, and I can never recall being able to see the same hand in poker show up in another game.
• "Know when to check, call, raise, and fold". This is what separates real poker players from the plain so-called poker players. This is putting your hand in action. Different situations call for different responses. Project Managers have an assortment of possible responses to various areas of project management such as Risk Management (do i accept, transfer, mitigate, etc?), Communication Management (do i email, call, chat, etc?), and various other areas. It is therefore important to understand the possible outcome of each response to a project management area.
• "Read your opponent(s)". Having played Poker for quite some time now. I am starting to understand facial gestures, mannerisms, and non-verbal cues can truly give light to what the other poker players have. This helps me understand how to respond properly in order to win. In the same light, Project Managers should also be aware of situations that may affect the outcome of his/her Project. Reading your opponents is essentially performing Risk Management.
• "Learn to read a Bluff". Yes, bluffing is an integral part of Poker. Poker will never be Poker without this element in. After all, that's what started the term Poker Face. In the course of trying to read your opponents, there will be instances that you will be lead to believe certain conditions exists in your opponents hand that will cause you to do something less favorable (such as folding to a much lower hand). Project Managers should always learn to validate situations, conditions, and project statuses if they are what they are reported as. A validation activity/exercise by PM's always help in ensuring that the PM is always on top of the situation.
• "Learn to call a Bluff". A bluff is a way of getting what we want out of opponents. Yes, it is effectively lying - but its all part of the game. For Project Managers, this does not mean that you need to tell a lie. In fact, all this means is influencing people, events, etc. to achieve something that we want from that specific person/team. It does not incur (nor should it incur) lying. What it should have is a mechanism to go influence people positively.

Well, I hope that the next time you play Poker, you can now remember all the important stuff that I mentioned.