Poker is a game that pushes one’s analytical and interpersonal skills to the limit. Many top Wall Street executives, entrepreneurs and athletes play poker. Poker also teaches a lot of important life lessons.
For example, it teaches you how to read your opponents and their tells. It also helps develop your mental endurance and teaches you to be more disciplined with your money. It’s also a great way to make friends!
Another good thing about poker is that it teaches you how to take risks. It makes you think about the probabilities of certain cards coming up on the next street, and comparing them to the risk you’re taking by raising your bet. This is a skill that will serve you well in the real world, especially in business where you’re often making decisions with incomplete information.
In poker, it’s also important to learn how to play in position. By doing so, you’ll get more value out of your strong hands. You’ll be able to call more often with mediocre hands, and you’ll also be able to exercise pot control when necessary.
Lastly, poker is a game that requires a large amount of math. You’ll need to work out probabilities, calculate EV, and keep track of your own and your opponents’ bet sizes. Over time, these skills will become ingrained in your brain, and they’ll help you make better decisions at the table. This is a major advantage over other games that don’t involve so much mathematics.