Yogi Berra, Bill Murray and Punxsutawney Phil all come to mind as I consider Groundhog Day. I should probably just repost yesterday’s post and let my readers figure out that it is Groundhog Day.
I never saw the movie and I really know very little about the tradition.
The little guy, Punxsutawney Phil, comes out of his den and if he sees his shadow we will have six more weeks of winter. Yeah sure. Whatever.
In the movie Bill Murray is made to live the same day over and over again until he gives up his selfishness. In popular culture this has been extended to represent going through a phenomenon over and over. I think this lead me to the famous Yogi Berra quote, “It feels like déjà vu all over again”.
When I think about Groundhog Day in the poker world I remember going to the same place and playing with the same people who played exactly the same way day after day. This is what I call playing in my regular game. Everyone sits in the exact same seats and plays the same way every week and the results are always the same. The same people win and the same people lose every single week.
I remember a time in my life when my friend Eric asked what I was going to do on Saturday night and I replied, “Grab a twelve-pack and park at the beach and say Damn there is nobody in town”. This became our standard line every weekend all summer long for many years. We lived our lives in the same old boring routine with no real variety.
Do not allow yourself to fall into a rut. Mix things up and try something different even if it feels a little uncomfortable. In life, as well as poker, you never want to become too predictable.
I still feel like Groundhog Day is some made up superstition that really has no meaning. I just think it is an opportunity for us to learn and make changes.
Tells-n-Lies 
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