While some may think poker is a game of pure chance, it actually involves quite a bit of strategy and math. This makes it a game that can teach players valuable lessons that they can apply to other areas of their lives. Poker also teaches players to develop many other skills through hard work and consistency.
1. It teaches the importance of having a well-stocked arsenal of poker tactics.
Poker is a fast-paced, often stressful game that requires players to be able to change their tactics quickly to adapt to changing circumstances. Whether it is to counteract an opponent’s bluff or to protect their own strong hands, poker players need to have a number of options in their back pocket.
2. It teaches the importance of being emotionally stable in changing situations.
Poker can be a highly-emotional game, particularly when stakes are high and the pressure is on. This can lead to people acting in ways that they normally wouldn’t, such as irrationally betting when they have the best hand or calling when they have nothing to lose. Being able to maintain your composure in these circumstances is essential for success at poker, and it’s something that can be applied to other areas of life too.
3. It improves mathematical ability.
As you play poker more frequently, your math skills will improve. The numbers that you see in training videos and software output will become ingrained in your poker brain, and you’ll have an intuition for things like frequencies and EV estimation.