Simon Wittenberg puts on his poker face to learn how mastering the basics of the renowned card game translates into being a key player in the world of business.
The stakes are high in business, especially when there’s a lot of money at play. Therefore, having a competitive advantage to succeed is crucial, as is assertive communication, negotiation and being able to manage risk. This is exactly what Aces High looks to teach players who take part in its immersive workshops, aimed at the corporate world for team building activities and events with a difference.
Only incorporated in January this year, Aces High is the brainchild of the charismatic and very personable Jo Living (below), a former investment banker and poker player who combined her passion for entrepreneurship and a winning track record to create a dream job.
Being only a few months in, it’s a relatively new offering to market, but this venture has been built on years of experience, and is already catching the eye of the blue chips (excuse the pun), and even Richard Branson, who has offered his own personal endorsement.
Sitting alongside Jo, the main Aces High team counts Jimi Sotimehin (above) – one of the top poker dealers who has travelled the globe from the Bahamas to Las Vegas with the World Poker Series, and Jake – now a poker tutor, thanks to being a former semi-pro of the global game.
In fact, poker has a long and rich history, where some deem it to have started as a form of dominoes in the 10th century in China. However, its most recent relation is the French game of poque, which harks back to the early 1800s.
Poker has traditionally carried a stereotype of bluff and bravado, but Jo’s aim is to break down these walls, and to show a different side to the game, most notably where it can add significant value to professionals in terms of enhancing their skillsets to have the upper hand in their respective field, and in the boardroom.
The sessions delivered by Aces High are essentially “poker-for-business”, but contrary to the image of big sums changing hands in casinos, there’s no gambling involved, and neither is any experience necessary to take part. It’s a matter of turning up on the day with your A game, watching and listening, and having the courage to make bold decisions, whilst consuming expert guidance with the help of some moreish Aces High-branded chocolates.
The setting for our three-hour Aces High taster session, guided by Jo and her colleagues, was the basement of the Lockes Bar, an intimate room underground, away from prying eyes and the hustle and bustle of London’s Covent Garden.
Gathered around a table with five other players – a mix of those from the corporate world and the media, it was hard not to have a sense of nervousness when you’re essentially in a room full of strangers – a sentiment amplified when starting as a complete poker novice, and when the only strings to your bow come in the form of rummy and solitaire.
These feelings, however, were soon banished, as any question was actively welcomed to promote learning.
Those around the table who had varying knowledge of poker, plus Simon—another World Poker Series dealer—who has had the privilege of spending time on many superyachts overseeing games for those on board—were only too keen to impart their knowledge. This is a “contact sport” without the rough and tumble, meaning the more interaction there is, the better and more enriching the experience.
Body language, which makes up a core part of communication, and which is especially important from a commercial perspective, is one of the fascinating starting points and icebreakers for an Aces High tutorial. “Guess who has the Ace?” is all about reading the room, especially when meeting people for the first time, to gauge authenticity and honesty.
This exercise epitomises the phrase, “holding your cards close to your chest” – i.e. how far have you placed them away from you at the table, whilst showing how guarded or relaxed you are, how you glance at your cards, and any hesitation when questioned, are other notable telltale signs and giveaways as to the strength of what lies in your hand.
There’s a myriad of tricks and tips, and dos and don’ts to pick up in poker, which can appear daunting at first, especially when having to digest the essentials and terminology, spanning “monsters”, to a “Royal Flush”, at a relatively fast pace, so as to get a sound overview of the game in a short space of time.
The basics for the tuition are set around the rules of Texas Hold’Em – a familiar format of poker where you’re dealt two cards, and five are subsequently placed on the table face-up. This is where sound judgement is needed as whether to effectively bet, or fold, by assessing the power of your hand, but also those of opponents – a process of deduction, and evaluating how your cards, namely the suits and value, can effectively add to the cards sitting in the centre of the table.
It’s not about matching in its truest sense, but poker is effectively a game of creating a sequence in line with the rules of play, and understanding the potential gain of what you have to offer. As it happens, many games are won through other players having much weaker hands, and throwing their cards in, leaving the “last man standing” to take the spoils.
There’s certainly an element of luck as to the cards that you are dealt, but just like it is in the real world, it’s knowing what to do with them, and when to make the all-important calls, which ultimately matters.
Poker is certainly a game that introduces an element of tension in the room, and you need to be on your guard in terms of being observant to look for any clues around the table when you’re playing to win.
After a few practice rounds, where skills are honed and developed every time that the cards are distributed and retrieved, the session-closing tournament is where you’re pretty much left to your own devices to put the workshop’s learning into practice.
With the tables turned, and a near-new set of players to go up against, giving a renewed sense of unfamiliarity – just like walking into a face-to-face negotiation for the first time with a new client, and with uber professional and kind-natured Jimi Sotimehin sitting to my right handing out the cards and the chips, it was time to get serious. This was all after only two hours of walking into the room with absolutely no prior knowledge of the renowned game of poker.
As a first move, it’s obligatory to put a chip down before others can raise the stakes in terms of how much they think their cards are worth, as the game develops. The opening round saw a satisfying haul of chips for yours truly, and a very positive start to the contest, thanks to a little help from the Aces High hosts and poker royalty, who drop a subtle nudge or hint or two if you end up in a quandary.
Rounds two and three were also pretty favourable, and it looked as if my game was on cruise control to first place, but this is poker, where anything can happen in a flash. Despite it looking like the chips were down for fellow players, the tide can turn very quickly.
With Lady Luck striking, and with a stronger line-up of cards from an opponent, I was eventually pipped to the post by a bomb disposal expert, who had previously served in Afghanistan, and who knew all too well about assessing the element of risk and making the right call when under pressure.
Coming from a point of zero knowledge of poker, second place in a debut tournament was nevertheless an inspiring result. However, this end-of-session “test” was ultimately about the taking part, and seeing just how much progress can be made from zero, thanks to the very well-choreographed Aces High workshop, which makes the game of poker so accessible and fun, and which brings people together over some friendly rivalry.
In summary…
Immersing yourself in an Aces High workshop will never leave you poorer financially than when you went in, meaning your hard-earned money stays well and truly untouched. Instead, it leaves you richer in knowledge, both of the game, but also better equipped in terms of some of the vital skills of doing business effectively.
This is a brilliant concept that Jo Living has developed, and with it proving a hit from the off, and fast gaining profile, even beyond the shores of the UK, this certainly lays a solid foundation for Jo to achieve her vision of one day developing a franchise model and replicating her success around the country and beyond.
Aces High – Where and How?
For more information and to make a booking with Aces High, visit www.aceshighlondon.com.
An Aces High masterclass in a corporate setting caters to groups of six to 60 people, and starts from around £2,500.
See highlights of the Aces High poker taster session on the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page.
Photo credits: Aces High / Esme Buxton Photography.
[LtoR] Jo Living and Jimi Sotimehin.
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