Poker is one of those games that people think destroys you, but it’s actually a highly constructive game. It’s mentally intensive, requires concentration and teaches you to observe your opponents’ behaviour and body language. It also improves your critical thinking and your ability to plan.
Another skill that poker teaches you is how to work out the odds. It might seem like a trivial thing to learn but it’s a great way of improving your math skills in a different way. If you play enough poker you’ll start to be able to determine the odds of any given situation without having to do anything except look at the cards on the table.
The game also teaches you how to handle loss and success, a key aspect of life. A good poker player doesn’t get down on themselves after a bad beat and instead treats it as a learning experience. This kind of attitude carries over into other aspects of life and can make you a more resilient person.
It’s a very social game too. If you play poker regularly, you’ll develop friendships with players from around the world. You’ll get to know people from different backgrounds and cultures and learn about new ways of looking at the game. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk through hands with other players, a very important part of improving your poker knowledge. This is a great way of getting honest feedback and moving up through the ranks faster.
