Poker is often thought of as a “mindless” game where you make bets and hope for the best. However, there’s a lot more to the game than meets the eye. In fact, poker can improve your logical thinking, social skills, observational abilities and much more!
Logical Thinking
Poker develops your logical thinking like no other game. You must think critically and logically to count your chips, analyze opponents and make solid decisions. This teaches you to be unbiased and not influenced by any little emotion. This is a great skill to have in life, as it will help you make the right decision in stressful situations, such as a job interview or an argument with your significant other!
Observational Skills
When you play poker, you’re constantly watching your opponents. This helps you observe body language and small changes in their demeanor. This is a huge benefit in many professions, including law enforcement and teaching. It also teaches you to notice things that others may miss, such as a subtle twitch in their eyebrow or a hunch in their shoulders. It can help you make better reads on your opponents and ultimately win more hands!
Math Skills
Poker involves a lot of math. It’s not just the counting of your own cards, but also estimating the odds of other players holding certain hands and what their possible betting patterns might be. It’s essential to learn how to do this effectively if you want to improve your poker game. Luckily, there are plenty of resources available online and in books that will help you get started.
Focus
One of the most difficult aspects of poker is learning to focus. It’s easy to get distracted by your phone, TV, tablet or other people at the table. If you don’t learn to stay focused, you’ll never be able to progress in the game. Poker is a great way to train your focus because it forces you to concentrate on a single task for long periods of time. It can be challenging at first, but you’ll eventually learn to keep your attention on the game and stop zoning out.
It’s also important to mix up your strategy at the poker table. Don’t be predictable and always continuation-bet on the flop. Instead, try checking-raising a flopped flush draw half the time and calling the other half. This will give you some bluff equity and prevent your opponents from knowing exactly what you’re holding. Eventually, you’ll be able to put more money into the pot when you’re in position and increase your chances of winning. That’s what Scotty Nguyen and other top players refer to when they say ‘that’s poker, baby!’. They mean that the outcome of a hand is sometimes random, but it’s usually the result of good play based on game theory and probability.