Poker is a game that not only tests your analytical and mathematical skills, it also challenges your emotional stability and your ability to deal with stress. It can be an expensive and time-consuming hobby, but it is one that can pay off handsomely if you do it right.
A good poker player learns to be decisive under uncertainty. For example, you don’t know what cards are in other players’ hands and their betting habits so you have to make decisions without all the information. This is a valuable skill that you can apply to many areas of your life.
It also teaches you to read other players and understand their motivation. It is a psychological game, and good poker players learn to pick up on tells like eye movements, body language, hand gestures and betting behaviour. You can also improve your reading by learning to recognise emotions such as fear, anger, excitement etc.
In addition, you will need to commit to a strict study schedule if you want to become a top poker player. You will need to spend a lot of time learning the rules, hand rankings and the impact of position. It is a great idea to keep a study journal and use this as your reference when you’re playing. It will help you to internalize the important calculations and build your intuition so that you can play better poker. A good poker player will never chase a bad hand and will always take a loss as a lesson learned.