NOTE - I wrote the following on Monday 11/22. When I completed it
and posted it, I found that the Administrator had moved the Dancer
thread to FREEvpFREE.
I also found an email from the Administrator, which I've posted on
FREEvpFREE.
Harry Porter wrote - "However, the idea that the most successful
player would strive to master the minutiae of the game resonates with
me -- that's been my experience professionally in finance. Frequently
the guy who sweats the small stuff is also the guy who's got him arms
securely around the big picture and knows the whole operation
intimately inside and out."
Could not disagree more.
Your use of the word "minutiae" is apt - "a small or trivial detail".
Bob Dancer wrote - "I am an extremely successful player and I study
and utilize penalty cards extensively. My goal in the recent column
was to share with other players trying to improve their game just
how I do it.
If Skip and JW think I'm wasting my time by becoming that
knowledgeable, fine."
Dancer's stating (as he has in other posts) that he is
especially "knowledgeable" because he has spent time investigating
the minutiae of penalty cards, is specific but misleading.
Dancer may feel he is more knowledgeable, and Porter may feel there
is a positive by dealing in minutiae, but this is impractical.
Practicality is key here, not navel gazing.
Guys - the goal here isn't to prepare for the vp version of trivial
pursuit.
There is a specific goal here - making an advantage play (whether
that play is for outright profit or for comps or both)in the most
efficient manner possible.
The optimal strategy can be derived by using the available vp
software.
The rest is time wasting trivia.
Nelson Algren made a great statement once which I just tried to
google
and couldn't find, so I'm going to have to be as accurate as possible
from memory -
"A sociologist is someone who, after 6 months of intensive study,
interviews, and surveys, can give you the address of 25% of the
brothels in a given city, whereas the man on the street is aware that
he can get the address of 100% of the brothels in that city within 5
minutes, simply by asking the cop on the beat."
Suppose Roger Ebert gives a TV film review.
Then a guy jumps invades the stage and says "Ebert, I am more
knowledgeable than you.
I've memorized the name of the grip [adjusts the lights],the gaffer
[electrican], and the assistant sound editor on every film you've
ever
reviewed. Can you name them?"
Ebert - "No".
Man - "I'm much more knowledgeable than you about films."
Again, this is specific but misleading.
This man may have more knowledge, but this is the Department of
Useless Knowledge.
Ebert's knowledge is more than thorough for the practicalities of the
task at end.
Porter, watching the show, may start resonating because the Man has
mastered the minutiae, but I feel most of the rest of us realize the
man has wasted his time in relation to the task at hand, and if we
resonate at all it will be to grab the remote and change the channel.
His knowledge is utterly irrelevant.
An example in the gambling world -
On a sportsbetting forum recently, someone asked a successful
sportsbettor who justifiably is known to have made a million dollars
sportsbetting - "Why is it that your analysis of the NFL games never
includes a breakdown of the specific players?.
You don't seem to even know their names in some cases."
The bettor replied "You're correct. I've always felt that kind of
knowledge is overrated. Fantasy sports players are filled with that
kind of knowledge. It doesn't help them win at sportsbetting."
This reminded me of a time I was at a poker table. We were discussing
a recent pro football draft.
One player at the table said, "The Vikings just drafted X X from
Florida State. He runs the 50 yard dash in Y Y [don't remember - a
fast speed though]."
Now that guy I'm sure had a lot of knowledge regarding specific
players that the sportsbettor I refer to does not possess.
That guy could post that he is spending his time becoming more
knowledgeable about the NFL than the rest of us.
The only problem is, knowing how fast a specific NFL player can run
the 50 yard dash in is irrelevant to the issue at hand - winning
money by sportsbetting.
An intelligent person knows how to avoid getting mired in trivia, and
how to attack a given problem in the most efficient manner.
Those that don't, do such things as sell penalty card systems.