Earlier in part 1, you gathered an inclusive field beyond just applicants. All ready to compete at poker tournament tables in your office, maybe their future workplace. Your chance to find out who truly qualifies for an opening, dealing with tough competition and friendly coworkers.

Poker offers you great insights of the players' inner workings. Each hand presents an unique situation, resembling the many parameters you consider daily to make ultimate decisions. In fact, the only constant you face is ... change.

You want professionals  who manage these dynamics. Your best option to test the required level of flexibility in poker? Switch to HORSE.

Texas Hold'em captivates millions of spectators and players around the globe for over 4-5 years. You'd almost overlook the many other exciting poker games, due to huge media attention of this well-known variation.

Part of the popular community card poker family, Hold'em seems like an obvious choice for your event. It's easy to learn, packed with action and fun to play and watch. Still, if you like to put everyone's elasticity to the test, I recommend to boost your office tourney by playing H.O.R.S.E:

• Hold'em (2 hidden hole cards and 5 community cards)
• Omaha (like Hold'em, but on steroids with 4 hidden hole cards)
• Razz (also known as 7-card stud low: lowest hand wins)
• Stud (or 7-card stud high: reversed razz, no community cards either)
• Eights-or-Better (simply put: razz and stud combined or stud hi/lo)

As illustrated in the introductory, all players start with fictional money to invest wisely. Three limit types determine the maximum value of bets and raises. Usually, HORSE limits players to only bet a fixed amount of chips, while no-limit Hold'em provides most thrilling moves like shoving all-in. Mix up game variants and limits and you'll perceive the Fourth to Sixth Sense Reason to Hire at the Poker Table:

4: Recruit your real ace - the All-round Competent Enthusiast
5: Spot flexibility and limitations while coping with change
6: Sense interpersonal skills: respect, empathy and persuasion

Versatile Stud or One-Trick-Pony in Horseplay Discoveries

Switching jobs impacts lives. Amazing how professionals decide on such huge changes in static meeting rooms. Poker simulates the dynamics you face every day. Your opportunity to fill in missing pieces for your team at the poker table.

Your lineup resembles a live chessboard. Managerial kings and queens aligned with e.g. bouncy knights and dedicated pawns. Similar to poker, their value depends on situations and positions, yet all contribute to achieve your overall strategy.

4: Recruit your real ace - the All-round Competent Enthusiast

Sole expert knowledge rarely suffices to get the job (done). I concur with the author of From Good to Great; you first need the right people before you figure out to adjust directions in this changing world. Joel portrays these superstars as smart and get things done. If you combine these principles with Collin's Hedgehog Concept, you hire the real aces:

All-rounders who make a difference with energy and passion. You can still subcontract a temporary for specialized tasks outside your core business. Unmask your true heroes while playing horse, the rotation game between the five poker variants. Mixing games reduces the edge of a specialist and proves the versatility of overall champs.

5: Spot flexibility and limitations while coping with change

When your office tourney rotates to razz, even decent poker players will struggle with this game. They might prefer to play horse, but stick to all poker variations; your chance to probe their learning curve too. At the same time, you test everyone's ability to manage constant change.

Players make different choices if unfamiliar with certain game types. They might decide to just wait, pay antes and compensate at a later stage. Others will take advantage of this conservative style and accumulate chips by raising the stakes to 'steal dead money'.

Compare this legitimate poker tactic with a wink at snatching budget remaining at the end of a fiscal year. Use it or it's withdrawn.

Limits influence the action as well. Fixed bets tempt contenders to play more hands, but you also like to see their performance when no limits apply. Pot limit requires more counting to award chips to the winner. You'd designate your staff as dealers and let them question candidates about skills relevant to the profession. Vary poker games to prove their agility or at least mix the limits in case you persist to pure Hold'em.

6: Sense interpersonal skills: respect, empathy and persuasion

Just scan the folks sitting at a poker table and you'll notice the accurate reflection of society. Promising youngsters, seasoned old-timers and all the men or women in between. Poker's competitive nature emerges just as much playing against strangers as with friends. You still call for civilized players showing honest respect to every single person ...

... so yes, that certainly includes competitors just as well as friends. Consider your office tourney as a home poker tournament; a social event where you thrive friendly relationships. Building rapport is key for connecting with other persons, helping you understand what floats through another mind. Reading tells in poker works quite similar. You'd think magic occurs when a great pro declares opponent's hole cards.

Chemistry triggers a similar emotion for interacting people. Wonderful feeling indeed, still neither miraculous. Basically, this all boils down to good ol' empathy. Relating to your competitors, colleagues and clients facilitates in seeing their point of view in a matching pace. Once you genuinely care, your counterparts open up and give attention to your perspectives in return; you receive permission to persuade.

Continue » Subliminal Salesforce
(scheduled for Jan'08 - Happy Holidays!)

About the author (and publishing frequency)

Thanks for giving your valuable attention. I'm Mike van Zandwijk and strive to write new articles every 2-3 weeks on RoyalFlop. Subscribe to receive new, free content like the third part in the Office Tourneys series. We rather publish more frequently and appeal to passionate, talented writers. Are you interested?