What Poker Has Taught Me About High-Stakes Communications
Pursuing a profession in poker is not for the faint of heart. And neither is building a career as a strategic communicator. I would know—I’ve done both.
Before diving into the world of public affairs and media relations, I played cards full-time. My specialty: live, mid-stakes No Limit Texas Hold’em cash games. I was what the poker community calls a “grinder”—a disciplined, albeit unceremonious, professional.
Unorthodox career path, right? After all, the two fields seem so different. As a communicator, I advise clients, draft advocacy materials, and pitch journalists. In poker, I play a game with chips and cards. But beneath the surface, the parallels become clear.
And it’s the lessons—hard learned at the poker table—that give me an edge in communications.
Get Comfortable with Incomplete Information
At its heart, poker is a game of incomplete information; you don’t know what other players are holding, and you can’t predict what cards will come. Is your opponent bluffing? Can’t be sure. Instead, you observe behavior, weigh probabilities, parse data, and make the best decision you can.
Poker forces you to operate in the gray—to get comfortable with ambiguity. Communications works the same way. And that’s where the overlap begins.
You’ll never have perfect polling or flawless message testing, and you won’t know for certain how your carefully crafted comms strategy will land. Cracker Barrel’s rebranding snafu is clear enough evidence of that.
But uncertainty creates opportunity. The best communicators don’t wait around for certitude that never comes. They make disciplined, timely decisions in the face of ambiguity. And when the moment demands it, they have the confidence to go all in.
Understanding People is a Must
“Play the man, not the cards.” It’s an old poker aphorism, but one that bears repeating—particularly in our modern, data-driven world. Serious players today can become so engrossed in the math and theory behind the game that they overlook an obvious truth: every decision ultimately revolves around people.
To succeed, you cannot neglect the human element. Understanding what motivates others—their hopes, fears, and tendencies under pressure—is critical to developing your strategy and approach. Communications likewise.
Whether you’re pitching journalists, lobbying Congress members, or advising a C-Suite, you must know your audience. Data and messaging matter, but empathy matters more. And if people don’t feel heard and understood, you won’t persuade them. That’s why understanding people—their values and motivations—is key to success in both poker and PR.
Creative, Strategic Thinking is King
Poker is brutally competitive—up to 95 percent of players lose money over the long run. The game is hard, and the margins can be razor-thin. That’s why if you play like everyone else, you’ll lose like them, too.
The best players don’t doggedly adhere to rigid formulas or best practices. They innovate, adapt, and spot patterns others miss. The same goes for communicators. If you’re recycling the same tactics and pursuing the same goals campaign after campaign, you’ll fall behind. Or worse, you’ll become background noise.
Winning requires creativity, the courage to break from the herd, and the boldness to craft strategies that feel fresh and unexpected. In poker and public affairs, originality is your edge.
These lessons, forged at the tables, form the foundation of who I am as a communications strategist. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more of them in this series, Lessons from the Felt. Follow along to see how the mindset of a poker pro can sharpen your approach to high-stakes communications.
