Most players choose to play poker online for one of two reasons: to have fun and make a profit. But sometimes, you get more than what you've bargained for – in a good way. When you play poker, you get to learn about life and mostly about yourself, even if that wasn't your primary intention.
If you've been wondering whether you should invest time and effort into learning poker rules and mastering the game, stay tuned and find out what surprising lessons this tame can teach you! Maybe it will convince you the game is worth it.
5 Things You Learn When Playing Poker
- Discipline is the key to success – When it comes to playing poker, learning game's rules is not enough to become a great pro. The one thing that can propel you forward in the poker industry is getting lots of practice hours under your belt. To get better at the game and increase your wins, you must be highly dedicated and practice regularly. The same thing goes for real life: you can't expect to get better at anything you do without putting in the effort required to master any skill or hobby you're interested in. Practicing and learning for hours on end will teach you a lot about the importance of discipline and commitment in all life aspects.
- You can't always win – While there's a lot of skill involved in poker, you still have to rely on luck to get a powerful hand. And when you can't control the situation 100% of the time, you are bound to get a weak card combination from time to time, therefore losing in the process. Playing poker teaches you that you can't always come out on top, and you must be able to deal with it. In life, things won't necessarily go your way, and if you manage to keep your cool and deal with the situation calmly, you are bound to be all the better for it.
- Go big or go home – Experienced poker players know that to make the big bucks, you must be able to take a risk. Bluffing or going all-in requires lots of guts on your part, but if you're able to overcome your fears and make a ballsy move – you will come out the winner. In life, playing it safe won't always bring you the results you aspire to. So, sometimes, to achieve greatness you have to make risky decisions.
- Don't overvalue intuition – Many people often rely on their intuition when making important decisions. Sometimes it works out for the best, but sometimes it doesn't. Since intuition is mostly based on your emotions, it can lead you astray if you're too overwhelmed. Therefore, it can impede your judgment. In poker, like in life, you must be able to put your feelings aside and rely on pure knowledge to make the right decisions that will lead you to victory and success.
- Stay away from the status quo bias – According to experts, a status quo bias occurs when people stick to the same behavioral patterns and prefer things remain the same. This type of bias can undermine any attempt you're making to get ahead in life – and in poker. As you are bound to encounter unpredictable situations in both cases, you must have the cognitive flexibility to deal with them. If you don't change your way of thinking and adapt to every situation on the go, you won't be able to make the right decisions that can lead to a successful outcome.
What Have You Learned So Far?
Online poker can teach you a lot about handling issues and hardships in real life. How long have you been playing poker? And what is the most important thing the game has taught you so far?