DUBLIN BELLYBUSTERS

Fueled by several mojitos, issues of faith, art and the interconnectedness of things were discussed at length (my friends would say 'ad nauseum') over the course of the hours that followed the gig. Were we duped into thinking we were special? Was our night a grandiose fabrication? Did it really matter if what we experienced was a pre-arranged shtick? Inevitably, our answers could be boiled down to our philosophical differences.

As a devout atheist, existentialist, humanist and sceptic, I always want to see behind the curtain. The contempt that accompanied Thomas' incredulity was misplaced. He should have been exalted for doubting, not ridiculed. There is nothing wrong with wanting proof and if none exists, there is nothing wrong with leaving an abyss. There is supposed to be cleavage between the phenomenal and the noumenal. An abyss should not be a canvas for pretty pictures.

I want to find the abyss and stare into it. Not in a morose way, mind you, but in an utterly positive, optimistic way. Sure, I might discover something that shatters a lovely illusion that I was enjoying. I might see that things don't happen for a reason. I might be reminded that I'm going to die. But these revelations or recollections are not -EV. They are just me acknowledging what is real. And by doing so, I can move forward and live a more authentic life.

It's like when a poker buddy reads your hand history and tells you that you should be raising your draws in a specific spot and not calling with them. You tell him that he's wrong, that playing the hand that way has lead to positive results. But then, you run the maths or simulation and it turns out that he is right, that while his way has higher variance, it will lead to more longterm profit. Not only that but his way will prevent you from conceding equity against the better players who will not pay you off when you hit, thus spoiling the implied odds aspect of your line.

You are faced with a simple choice. If you want to improve and make more money, you must plug the leak. If you're content to remain at your current level, make less but endure lower swings, then you can ignore it. This is actually a very common conundrum I encounter when coaching students. Unconsciously, most players like to remain within their comfort zone, the level they know they can beat. It's understandable when you consider how much money and time they had to invest to become profitable at that level. Therefore, it can be a battle to convince them to make adjustments to their games, adjustments that will necessarily mean more variance and thus more frustration. From their perspective, you are espousing a masochistic route and they defend their status quo with comments like "that might work for you but my line more suits my style and image".

Painful and bloodier as this masochistic route might be, it is also the road to self-betterment in the context of the game and from the perspective of one who has made the adjustment, it seems like you were being foolish and closed-minded before. Sure, the swings might be bigger but your long-term expectation has increased. Your horizon has been broadened and your former outlook now appears narrow and ignorant. 

I think 'Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros' are a tremendous band. I think they put on a great show. Were some of the more 'spontaneous' aspects of the night actually pre-orchestrated components of the 'Edward Sharpe' experience. I think so. Does that make them cynical. No more so than any other artists who balance the dual priorities of artistic credibility and commerciality. What about the fact that part of their charm comes from the organic appearance of their composition and behaviour. Well, that just shows that their play their parts extremely well. Does knowing that ruin my experience of them from now on? I don't think so. They are performers and, as such, they are in the business of magic. Do I believe in magic? No. But will I suspend that disbelief when next I attend one of their shows? Absolutely.