Life Lessons Poker Teach Us About
Poker is a game where you can win big or lose everything in a matter of seconds, a game of luck, as one might say. Many might not think much of poker, or even perceive it as a bad habit or something negative, but is that really all there is to poker? I wouldn’t say so. Through the process of playing poker, one can actually gain the realization that can be applied in their daily lives, or even in business and strategies.
Here are some skills that can be obtained by playing poker, and which I believe will definitely be of some help at some point in our lives.
#1 Embracing Setbacks
In poker, no matter how skilled you are, how much experience you have, or how lucky do you presume yourself to be, there will be times where you will lose a game, even with all the right moves and strategies. When faced with setbacks as such, all you can do is grit your teeth and start over again, just like how life is. When you fail a test, after your lover breaks up with you, or failing business, they all teach us how to deal with our lives when things didn’t go the way we want, just like how poker does.
#2 Less Emotionally Driven
The more poker a person plays, the easier it is for them to recognize emotional traps and avoid them. People who are familiar with poker are able to control their emotions better, as being emotional could cost them their win in a poker game. This also affects their rationality before acting on something, as they would not make a rash movement based solely on their feelings, and then regretting it later. Being able to handle emotional swings and keep our acts under control is crucial, especially when conducting business, being emotionally stable decreases the risk of getting scammed or making the wrong decision, resulting in the business failing.
#3 Better Financial Management
Financial management is crucial for poker players. Players have to learn from the process to make decisions carefully, as one wrong move might cost them their money. Therefore, poker players are aware that they should not make any impulsive movements, and they have to keep track of their savings. This trait can be practised in our daily lives, as it promoted the security of our finance.
#4 Becoming More “Street Smart”
Much like mind reading, poker is an observation game, it requires the players to predict what the opponent is thinking and what is the next move that they might take. This means a poker player has to be able to adapt to the environment quickly, and plan their course of action. This is especially useful in an office setting, especially if you are the boss. Adaptability eases your work, as you are capable of recognizing the habits and behaviours of your employees, and use that information to your advantage to create or lead your employees to your company’s objectives and goals.
#5 Learning How To Calculate Risks
Just like a business, poker is all about measuring potential loss or gain, and it involves a bit of risk-taking. Both involve making decisions based on their instincts, assessment and requires wit and quick thinking. However, with great power (in this case it’s the money) comes great responsibility, you have to determine whether the risk is worth taking, and are you ready to lose the things that you put in line. Wise players or entrepreneurs would only take risks that they have confidence in, or when the situation is in their favour.
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