Poker is a game that challenges the mind as well as the body. Although the outcome of any particular hand largely depends on luck poker also involves strategy and mathematics, and as such it teaches a number of valuable life lessons.
Improves critical thinking skills
A big part of your poker success (and in life in general) lies in the ability to assess a hand. Luckily, poker is the perfect place to practice this. By constantly assessing your own hand and evaluating the actions of other players you’ll improve your abilities to make quick decisions.
Teaches emotional stability in changing situations
A good poker player is able to keep their emotions under control, especially during stressful moments. While this is easier said than done, you can train yourself to be more emotionally stable by playing poker. For example, watch a video of Phil Ivey taking a bad beat and see how he remains calm and collected.
Boosts social skills
While it may sound like poker is a lonely game that only involves sitting silently with your cards, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, poker is a very social game that draws people from all walks of life and backgrounds. This helps to turbocharge a person’s social skills, and makes them far more capable when it comes to interacting with other people. In addition, poker teaches patience as you wait for your turn to act. This is vital for beginners who are still learning about relative hand strength and don’t want to blow their stack too early.