Poker, Politics & Parenting with Jerrard Parfait

My guest is Jerrard Parfait. He’s a friend of fifteen years who has a strong aptitude for risk-taking. In fact, we spend the first hour of this episode talking about poker, decision-making and emotional intelligence.

We also discuss politics & parenting. Parfait, as I call him, lives with his wife, Carolyn, and son, Luke, in South Louisiana. We reminisce on our college days here—playing poker & blackjack at “Grandma Harrah’s” in New Orleans. He believes poker sharpens your skills because of its competitive nature. And much like playing golf, Parfait says, “you must put in a lot of time in order to be good at it.”

We also discuss screen time & social media. While I envision a future where social media is stigmatized as a low-class activity, Parfait believes otherwise. He says people are way too consumed with showing their best life on social media to abandon it.

This conversation was a blast. If you enjoy poker, parenting & politics, you’ll enjoy this discussion.

Questions asked:

What compelled you to play poker tonight of all nights?
Have you ever been out to Vegas for the World Series [of Poker]?
Is the old adage “If you can’t spot the sucker, then you’re probably the sucker” true?
What % of the game is taken away when you can’t see players’ facial expressions and mannerisms?
What % of hands do you fold where you have Ace + 6, 7, 8, or 9?
Did your son show a natural inclination for sports?
What did you listen to this morning?
[Question to Brad] How much exposure will you give your kid to screen time & social media?
Do you think it’s best to put the phone down rather than show him [Parfait’s son] or you think it’s better to show him and then put the phone down?
At what point do you talk to your kid as an adult, as opposed to baby talking your child?

Fun questions:

Social media – net positive or net negative for society?
Do you think not wanting something is just as good as having it?
Do you think Jeffrey Toobin should’ve been fired?
If you were stuck on an island and could only eat pizza from one pizza shop for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
Has anyone ever unfriended you because of politics?
If you could organize a dinner party of six guests, and have either everyone you’ve ever hurt or everyone who has ever hurt you, which would you choose?
Who do you think would win a governor’s race between Drew Brees and Ed Orgeron?
What is the best stadium you’ve been to?
If someone dropped $1 million on your lap tomorrow, what would you do with it?