Poker is a game of skill, but more importantly it’s a game of analytical thinking. You need to analyze your own cards, potential wins and losses, the odds, your opponents – the list goes on. Poker players at the top know how to observe quietly and then put those details to work for them.
Another thing you’ll learn as a poker player is how to read others and understand their behavior. It’s not easy to do and takes practice. But once you master this, it’s a powerful tool to have at the poker table. It can help you understand what’s driving your opponents to bet, call, or fold in any situation.
In poker you’ll also get to know how to control your emotions. It’s not always appropriate to show off your emotions and if you let them run wild then it can have negative consequences. Poker teaches you how to control your emotions at the right times, something that can serve you well in life.
One final lesson that poker teaches you is how to focus on a specific topic for long periods of time. Too many players bounce around, watching a cbet video on Monday, reading a 3bet article on Tuesday and then listening to a podcast about tilt management on Wednesday. All of that is great but if you’re not focused for long periods of time then you’ll struggle to make progress. Poker helps you learn how to concentrate on a single topic for longer periods of time, which will make it much easier to learn the game faster.