Poker is a game of chance, but a big chunk of its success depends on a player’s ability to make the right decision at the right time. It’s a game that helps you build critical thinking skills that can benefit you in any number of ways beyond the poker table.
Poker also teaches you to think long-term and to take calculated risks, both important skills in any field. Developing a comfort with risk-taking is not an overnight process, and you can start by taking small risks in low-stakes poker games to get a feel for the game before stepping up to the big leagues.
When you’re a newcomer to the game, you can learn a lot by studying the strategies of experienced players. Watch them play and imagine how you’d react in their shoes to help build your own instincts at the tables. Over time, you’ll develop a natural intuition for things like frequencies and EV estimation.
The game of poker has roots that go back almost 1,000 years. It was first played in the Mississippi River region and then spread across the country as it became a favorite pastime among the crews of riverboats transporting goods to and from ports. It became a staple in Wild West saloons and eventually made its way to Europe.
No one goes through life racking up victory after victory in poker. Even on a player’s best night, they will lose many hands. But playing poker teaches you that loss is a bruise, not a tattoo, and that every bad beat is just another opportunity to turn the tables.