Cổ Nhơn is a traditional Vietnamese game that involves solving riddles through poetry. It is considered the spiritual food of the people of Hoai Nhon district, Binh Dinh province, and it represents the unique soul and character of the Lunar New Year celebration in this region.
The game starts with the Hoi issuing a riddle, which is also known as “cau thai”. Usually, each cau thai consists of 4 lines of poetry following the lục bát, song thất lục bát, or tứ tuyệt poetic forms. The content reflected in the cau thai is usually broad-ranging, so the composer of the cau thai must be knowledgeable in literature, skilled in interpreting meanings, and well-versed in local customs and traditions. The players must also possess good reasoning and inference skills in order to solve the riddle.
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The 36 objects in the Co Nhon table are divided into 9 groups: “Tu Trang Nguyen”: white fish, snail, goose, peacock; “Ngu Ho Tuong”: crab, tiger, pig, rabbit, buffalo; “That Sinh Ly”: flying dragon, dog, horse, elephant, cat, rat, bee; “Nhi Dao Si”: crane, unicorn; “Tu My Nu”: butterfly, rock, swallow, stork; “Tu Hao Mang”: monkey, frog, crow, lying dragon; “Tu Hoa Thuong”: turtle, rooster, eel, red fish; “Ngu Khat Thuc”: shrimp, snake, spider, deer, goat; “Nhat Ni Co”: mythical creature. |
This game has an organizing committee called the Co Nhon Lottery Organization. This committee is responsible for issuing the riddles, collecting the money (tich), and distributing the winnings to those who give the correct answer. Co Nhon players can buy as many objects as they want and bet any amount of money. If they buy 1 object and win, they will receive 25 to 30 times their bet, depending on the local rules.
The tich of this game consists of 36 objects, which are used to represent the amount of money the players have bought.
The appeal of Co Nhon lies in the varying ways to solve the cau thai. The surprise of the answer is derived from the player’s creative thinking, but it is also related to the riddle itself. Co Nhon is not just a simple test of reasoning and knowledge. The diverse ways of solving the riddle make Co Nhon a mental battle where players have to guess the direction of the riddle.
An example of Co Nhon. The cau thai with the answer is the Swallow.
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There is an interesting correlation between playing Co Nhon and investing in the stock market. The process of solving the cau thai is similar to fundamental analysis, analyzing the potential and valuation of a company to make investment decisions. In addition, the statistical analysis of the answers or the method of solving the cau thai is similar to technical analysis. It relies on predefined patterns and historical data to predict future trends. If technical analysis analyzes the correlation between buyers and sellers, the Co Nhon players analyze the results and rules of the riddle to guess the answer to each cau thai.
As a stock market investor, I have learned many lessons from Co Nhon. The way of playing Co Nhon opens up many insights into stock market investment strategies.
Not relying too much on past data
Co Nhon players tend to choose the answers based on previous outcomes or repeated solving patterns. However, the changing ways of solving the cau thai make the past data unreliable.
In stock market investing, when investment decisions are based on comprehensive and accurate analysis, investors can explain the reasons for the phenomenon and formulate appropriate strategies for future actions.
However, with the same set of data, two people can have completely different views because of the breadth of knowledge and experience. Similarly, with the same cau thai, there can be multiple valid solutions and answers.
Furthermore, past data does not always repeat. The growth indicators in the past are important, but they will only be useful if they contribute to the future development of the company. The potential for future growth is the decisive factor in whether the stock price will increase or decrease.
Flexibly change investment strategies
A Co Nhon player can continuously win by choosing a series of objects that have not been drawn yet – a smart way of increasing the winning rate, although the reward will be smaller. But when the lottery organization starts to draw the previously drawn results, this strategy will completely fail. Without quickly changing the strategy, the player will not be able to win.
The stock market is a complex integration of many factors. These factors are constantly changing and difficult to predict. When the investment environment changes, if the investor does not adjust their strategy quickly, they will encounter significant difficulties.
Similarly, the sudden decline of the stock market in 2022, when the Fed started to raise interest rates, marked a change in the investment environment. Investors cannot expect to continue winning as they did before. Those who timely switch from attacking to defending will be able to weather the storm.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Portfolio diversification to balance risk is one of the basic principles of investing. In Co Nhon, players can buy multiple objects at once. This increases the chance of winning. When in doubt between multiple answers, players can bet on multiple options at the same time. Of course, the rewards will decrease, but the winning rate will be higher.
Similarly, in stock market investing, diversifying your investment portfolio helps balance the risk among your investments. When one investment sector is affected by a certain factor, other sectors can still compensate for the losses. This minimizes the overall risk in your investment portfolio and enhances the long-term profit potential. Portfolio diversification also allows you to take advantage of different investment opportunities and increase the chances of profitability. If you only invest in one type of asset, you may miss out on other high-return investment opportunities.
However, portfolio diversification is not a magic trick. Some factors can still affect the entire market or different types of assets in your investment portfolio. Just like choosing multiple options in Co Nhon without choosing the correct answer.
Good analysis leads to higher chances of winning
Analysis plays a crucial role. Co Nhon players with a broad knowledge base and an understanding of the rules of the riddle will be able to narrow down the range of answers and increase their chances of making the right choice.
On the contrary, if players choose randomly without paying attention to the cau thai, the chances of winning will not be high. However, if players are knowledgeable about the rules and provide the correct answer, they will receive a big reward.
Similarly, in stock market investing, having a good understanding of the analytical methods allows investors to identify high-potential stocks with exceptional growth potential. In the long run, achieving multiple-fold profits is not an impossible task.
Investing is not gambling
The stock market adage “Investing with knowledge is investing, investing without knowledge is gambling” holds true. Knowledge is extremely important in any endeavor. With a complex market like the stock market, having a solid knowledge base is even more crucial.
To ensure that stock market investing is not a gambling action, prepare a solid foundation of knowledge, a strong mentality, and a cool head before entering the market.
Participating in Co Nhon with an entertainment mindset and a desire for mental challenges is in line with the traditional folk game spirit. On the other hand, if you participate with a speculative mindset, relying on luck, it is just gambling.
Similarly, stock market investing, when done with proper methods, reasonable expectations, and discipline, can yield positive results. But if one focuses solely on short-term gains without understanding the risks involved, it is just a gamble.
In the coming year, if you are looking for a fun activity for the Lunar New Year, try Co Nhon and draw investment lessons for yourself.
