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Showing posts from May, 2016

When Stacking The Deck Isn't Cheating

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I've been playing card games since before I was old enough to shuffle a deck or even hold a dealt hand by myself. I attribute my current adaptive, non-linear thinking approach to those  childhood card-playing   Sundays with my family. Many lessons have stayed with me through adulthood as a police SWAT officer and tactical trainer. They might have been taught over games, but concepts such as  forecasting , strategizing, and critical thought have broad application. But standing out against all those lessons was a rather simple rule:   No cheating. One way to cheat in a card game is by   stacking the deck   - setting up or arranging the deck of cards so that a player will be dealt (or will draw) favorable ones. This deception turns a game from one built on chance into one of unfair advantage. The term   stacking the deck  holds a connotation of dishonesty and lack of integrity. As a student of complex adaptive systems, I offer a positive spin on the term.  In order fo