The sucker at the table

Two timeless thinkers taught me the importance of picking one's battles in political and other competitive settings: Sun Tzu and Amarillo Slim, the latter of whom passed away this week at the age of 83, and whose book on poker I read as teen. Many in politics mistake proximity to power for influence, coveting a "place at the table" even when the game is rigged. Slim's relevant advice: "Look around the table. If you don't see a sucker, get up, because you're the sucker." Ain't it the truth?