No, this isn’t one of those inspirational articles where I talk about how poker has its ups and downs just like life and we learn to deal with it and forge ahead, yay us. There’s nothing metaphorical about my statement that poker is life training. I use the skills I learn in poker on a daily basis. Poker has made me more successful professionally, it’s made me a better judge of character and it’s made me more money. Here are just some of the ways poker has enriched my life (outside of being totally badass in its own right).
Poker Tunes Your Bullshit Detector
You know what I’m talking about. It’s that little tingle you get in your chest- that feeling that something’s wrong. It’s that moment when you don’t think your opponent is bluffing, you know they’re bluffing. I still remember the first time I got that feeling in poker.
An aggressive player had called my pre-flop raise and we went heads-up to the flop. I had the AK of diamonds and the flop came down all little hearts. I made a strong continuation bet and got raised.
Then something inside me clicked.
I was 100% certain that my opponent would have smooth called with the flush. I re-raised and he called. Undeterred, I shoved on the turn when a heart failed to come. My opponent folded.
The more I play poker, the better my bullshit detector gets and it doesn’t turn off at the poker table. It helps me decide who to trust and who to push away. In my “real job” it helps me decide who to hire and who to pass up. Without my poker-inspired bullshit detector, I’d be a sucker.
Poker Teaches You Timed Aggression
When you play poker, you start to get a feeling for when to be aggressive and when to rein it in. This skill is immensely helpful in negotiations. When I was discussing the terms of my promotion with my boss, he initially quoted me a number I thought was too low and it set off my poker senses. I knew that he was going to pay me exactly what I wanted if I went at in the right way. I was right. If I wasn’t a poker player, I’d probably be making significantly less at my job.
Poker Teaches You Financial Responsibility
Play above your bankroll and you’ll go broke. Live above your means and you’ll go broke. Poker teaches you fiscal discipline that you can take with you in the real world.
In addition, poker builds your risk tolerance so you’re better able to make smart investing decisions. It helps you to think of investments in terms of risk vs. reward instead of blindly following the advice of someone throwing chairs on TV and screaming “Buy!” at the camera. Sure your portfolio will have its ups and downs. So does your poker bankroll. But in the end I bet your investments will outperform someone who invests their scared money in bonds and money market accounts.
* * *
They don’t teach this stuff in school. They should, but they don’t. We have to go elsewhere to get this kind of an education and for me there’s no better teacher than poker. It’s true that poker has its ups and downs, just like life does, but the similarities aren’t what matter. It’s the lessons that matter.
Ready to try out your new poker skills? Play for real or free at:
