Playing poker is not just about winning. Beyond the game and long after you have played, there are a lot of invaluable takeaways you can gain that you can apply in life. For your career, specifically, there are various skills you can develop from playing poker which can help you with your work and boost your career.
Strategy
Poker teaches you how to outsmart your opponent by carefully assessing several different factors and using these to make the right move. In poker, there are four playing styles: tight-passive, tight-aggressive, loose-passive, or loose-aggressive, and the style that you use shall depend on what the game requires which you will know from thorough observation. While a player may have a tendency towards a particular style, poker teaches you that it is not about what you want but what is best for the game.
Career-wise, it is important to execute different strategies depending on what is needed for every situation. You cannot always implement the same approach to each and every situation. Similar to poker playing styles, there will be circumstances within one’s career when they would need to be aggressive, and others when they would need to wait for the righ time to make a move.
Emotional Maturity
When it comes to work, it is very important to be able to control your emotions and base all of your actions and decisions on what is logically sound for your team or the company. Another skill that you can gain from playing poker is how to manage your emotions effectively.
If you have been playing poker for quite some time now, you would know that you will have to anticipate both possibilities of winning and losing. It is important that you always take control of your emotions, and handle both wins and losses calmly.
Versatility and Discipline
One way to refine your career skills through the game of poker is by playing different variants. For instance, 888poker allows players to become more familiar with games such as Texas Holdem, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, SNAP, and BLAST. SNAP is a fast-fold format which reduces waiting time as players are dealt new cards the instant they fold, which means that they need to be able to think and act quickly. On the other hand, 7 Card Stud has many rules and requires more focus, so players can train their attention to detail.
Discipline is integral in everything we do. At work, it is discipline that ensures work is done and it is done the right way. Focus is equally essential in getting things done. It is what keeps you committed to performing a certain task. In poker, you learn to have a disciplined approach when it comes to your bankroll, as well as the way you study and play the game. You also learn to know when you need to stop, especially if you are playing online poker which is very easily accessible anytime of the day.
One real-life example of a great poker player who also happens to be successful in business is Filippo Candio. Filippo was the first Italian to ever reach the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, finishing fourth in the championship and winning $3,092,545. This win paved the way for Filippo to start his own business of poker-themed clothing. You can say that he played this business agressively and used his overnight success as a marketing opportunity for his clothing line.
Final Thoughts
Workplace skills are not only honed at the workplace. Many opportunities to learn and grow will present themselves in various areas of your life. Poker just happens to be one of the best ways to develop your professional skills!
Remember that the focus of this article is to play poker recreational. I would be remiss if I neglected to warn of the dangers of gambling. So just bear that in mind!