In poker the term “drawing dead” refers to the process of drawing to a hand which will lose even if you make it, e.g. drawing to a flush when your opponent already has a full house. Learning to identify such situations will save you a lot of money and make you sleep better.

But I think it’s pretty important to apply this principle – and many others found in poker – to your real life as well. Don’t waste your time and energy chasing something that won’t win you the pot (e.g. make you happy) anyway. Don’t feel committed to something or someone because you’ve already made a big investment in terms of time, money, feelings or whatever, when you realize that you’re essentially drawing dead. Learning to let go at the right moment is a very important skill, and even if it hurts quite badly at times, it will spare you from far more serious trouble in the long run.

Boomtime, Chaos 52, 3173 YOLD