Poker is a game of chance, but it also requires an amazing amount of skill. And it’s not just the hands you have that will determine your success at the table, but your ability to read other players and their betting patterns.
This skill set is not just a part of the game, but something you can carry with you into other parts of your life. In addition, poker teaches you how to manage risk vs reward. If you can take the hits of losing sessions without chasing them, it can give you the strength to handle similar situations in your life outside of the poker table.
Another valuable skill you can carry into your other life is being able to read people. This doesn’t mean you have to make movie-like reads based on their idiosyncrasies or the way they shake their head, but it does include paying attention to their betting patterns and how they are acting in their hand. It can help you categorize players into bluffers, callers, and so on.
Finally, the last poker skills that you can carry over into your other life are the ones that help with reading the board and playing in position. Playing in position allows you to see your opponent’s actions before you have to make a decision, and can allow you to control the size of the pot. If they are raising their bets and you are checking, you can usually continue the hand for cheaper because you can fold before your opponent has the opportunity to raise again.