Cigarette Breaks
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
I don't smoke, so sometimes this here blog can act as a great cigarette break to clear my mind in the middle of the day.
Yesterday went by in a flash at the office. Today has been significantly slower. But I've been busy, and for that I am glad. Give me a busy day over a quiet day anytime.
Interesting random things happen in the Jordiverse. I've got a settlement conference in front of a judge in two days. It's not even my case, so I've been boning up on the case yesterday and today. When I was talking to my team leader, I was getting excited for the conference. Basically, I have to present our reasoning for requesting our demand, which I currently estimate to be around $2.5 million. So, Team Leader tells me (mind you, its a team of 2, so its just Team Leader and me) that the Judge is going to try to bully me. He's going to threaten to send me out to pick a jury (i.e., go right to trial, something I have no experience in). He is going to insult me because I'm young and tell me that I don't know what I am doing. Meanwhile, my opposition is going to be playing his role, lowballing me and staying steadfast.
I had to admit, it got me a bit excited. Hell, I did admit it, telling Team Leader that I'm actually starting to look forward to the experience. "Of course," he replied. "It's poker."Truer words haven't been spoken.
I guess that is the blessing to what I do. As a lawyer, there are times where you have to read your opponents for tells. Is he stalling for a reason? Is he likely to settle? Is he hiding something? You might pick up on someone's attitude, and how it changes when certain topics come up. Or, you may be able to buddy up with your opponent, kind of like how I do at times at the table, and from that 'relationship' exploit the hell out of their knowledge, knowledge regarding information not available to you, like what their insurance carrier thinks, and what their theories of liability are.
Besides catching tells and reading peoples, I'm also constantly sending out signals. Maybe I don't call someone back right away, or I come on very aggressively. I might be bluffing, requesting things that aren't necessarily the most important so that they don't argue about something that is, to me, the real goal. Otherwise, I'll put on my happy face, working with my opponent to finish a conference stipulation, but all the while I'm making sure that I get mine.
In the end, there is a winner and a loser. There are small winners and losers along the way, like losing a pot. But at the end, when you win a verdict worth several hundreds of thousands of dollars or even, dare I say, millions, that's like busting the game. Getting near the end of the litigation (MTT) and wanna chop? Sure, let's settle. You only have to pay me $.5 million, saving yourself $.5 million of your insurance coverage that the company may be afraid of losing at trial (heads-up). Meanwhile, I might lose the trial, so I'll take the chop and accept the locked in profit.
I once heard someone say that litigation is the closest thing to sports without being a sport. I think it's even closer to poker. I guess I'm just glad that I can see the connection.
On an entirely unrelated note, if you are in NYC and want to see a kick-ass local band, check out Giant Step, playing at I.C.U. Bar in Manhattan on Saturday night. Dave Roose, my gambling partner in crime, is one of the guitarists, and the ban is a refreshing mix of Coldplay lyrics with a jam band sound/sensibility. They won a battle of the bands recently, too, and as a prize will be in a battle of the bands on Sirius Satellite's Jim Breuer Show on May 16th at 4pm. They'll be playing at Kenny's Castaways, also in NYC, on May 27th, and I'll be there for that one.
I'm freaking exhausted. I've been staying up fairly late, trying to take some advice from DoubleAs. A while ago, he lamented that those who claim that they do not have time to build their bankroll should really prioritize. Lose sleep if you have to. Sounded like good advice, and I have to admit that I've followed it, and I still think it's good advice. This poker struggle that we do, it doesn't have to mean much. For some it's a game. For others it's a quick way to make a few bucks here and there. For me, I'm looking to build something, and that takes work, bottom line. So, yeah, I'm sleepy, but it's because I'm dedicated. Dedicated to a stupid gambling game. And I couldn't be happier.
posted by Jordan @ 3:48 PM,
6 Comments:
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At 4:52 PM,
said...
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Roose here.. I appreciate Jordan making an effort to plug the band. I hope some of you can actually check us out. I know it's a little late, but it's still a Sat. night! And he got the link wrong. You see, there is another Giant Step, but they're a record label, and we are the band ;-)
Ours is GIANT STEP
so check us out, and maybe i'll see ya at one of the shows!
THANKS! -
At 5:10 PM,
said...
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The Mrs and I both liked the track on the link.
Don't forget to include Glasgow on the list for your first world tour! -
At 5:43 PM,
said...
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Ok, the link is fixed. Here is hoping that Acorn followed Roose's link and not the one I originally posted. Whatever the case, I doubt the Acorn will be at the show, seeing as how he is in Glasgow and all.
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At 11:54 PM,
said...
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We will definitely plan a sng or private tourney while in Oklahoma that you can sign on and play so it will sort of be like you are there.
Man I love when you write about that lawyery stuff. You should do that more often. My wife eats that shit up... -
At 9:04 AM,
said...
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Now I'm intrigued. You guys are going to be in Oklahoma playing online? You won't get any arguments from me, since that's the only way I'll be joining.
And I'm glad the Mrs. likes the lawyerly stuff. I think I will add more in the future... -
At 4:23 PM,
said...
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Followed the link from the comments section."Catching a wave" was the song I think.
Nice result from your nl game btw...
