I once read a piece about a good bridge player in London who hit on a strategy that he thought might make him some money, consistently, over time.
His plan was to go to his club every day, and play only until he won 10 pounds. As soon as he won his 10 pounds, not wanting to get greedy, he would stop for the day and go do something else.
Now, our friend was a good enough player to win, in the game in which he was playing.
But there was just one flaw in his plan. On the days when his luck was in (or, if you wish, he was on a roll, or in the zone, or playing well), he stopped playing early. And on the days when his luck was out (or, if you wish, he was fighting the cards, or struggling, or playing badly), he continued to play all day, if necessary, because he had not yet won his 10 pounds.
The result was that he spent the majority of his time at the bridge table when his luck was out. |
