Poker is an exciting card game that requires a lot of skill to play well. It also brings many mental benefits, from improving critical thinking skills to boosting alertness.
It teaches you how to read people
One of the most important skills that poker teaches you is how to read people. You’ll learn to look for tells – signs that someone is bluffing or stressed, for example – and you can then apply this information to your strategy on the fly.
It develops your patience
Being able to play poker for long periods of time and stay patient are incredibly valuable skills. These traits will help you keep your ego in check, which is crucial to your success at the game.
They will also help you deal with failure, which is an essential skill in life. It’s not uncommon to lose in poker, so if you can handle it well, you can pick yourself up quickly and learn from your mistakes.
It teaches you to be flexible
The ability to adjust your strategy on the fly is another useful poker skill. This can be especially helpful if you’re playing in a new environment where there are different rules.
It improves your logical and critical thinking
The game of poker is all about logic and decision-making. You won’t win a hand based on luck or merely guesses, so you must be able to calculate pot odds and percentages in a timely manner.