by In 2020, searches for ‘online poker’ on Google had risen to their highest point since 2013.
Much of life had gone virtual due to pandemic restrictions, with more people turning to online meeting rooms such as Zoom and the world wide web to get together with like-minded individuals. Whilst that was one outlet for social repression, another was online poker, providing a platform for interaction and, of course, a good old hand of poker.
However, poker isn’t just something people have been using to enjoy their downtime. It’s also been a pastime that the NYTimes.com reported that many of us have utilized to maintain and improve our abilities to interact socially. While no doubt playing poker certainly has helped that aspect of our lives, it’s not the only personal attribute that can be boosted while sitting at the virtual table. So, today we’re going to look at what else online poker can teach you to take into your everyday lives.
Improves decision making
Playing poker is one of the best ways to improve your decision-making, as it constantly pushes you to make complex choices based on the evidence in front of you. While it’s impossible to win every time, the simple act of forcing you to make a decision means you’re always improving your skills because no one wants to always be on the end of a bad beat. As World Series of Poker competitor Maria Konnikova suggested, it also helps towards your tolerance of risk, which helps people make a better call in testing times, even away from the table.
Emotional Intelligence
We all go through some tough and testing times in life; we have extreme highs of promotions in our careers and the lows of losing someone we love. But those who can keep a check on their emotions can get through these things, and as Poker.org reveals, poker is a game that can certainly help you with that attribute. How so? Anyone who plays poker knows it’s a game with extreme highs and, at times, crashing lows. You have to avoid getting too excited when you get a good hand, and it’s also crucial to keep your cool when things aren’t going your way.
Superior concentration
The key to success in anything is focus; you cannot afford to let your mind wander if you want to achieve, and that’s magnified at the poker table. Poker requires you to calculate if the odds are in your favor constantly; it’s a test of mathematical skill that the best players overcome. Those successful around the poker table can, and must, make these quick calculations because a momentary lapse can mean a big loss. No player wants that, so poker trains your mind to stay switched on no matter the situation.
Learning from others
Playing online will throw you together with some of the best players, even world-level players. As the game is a real social experience, this gives you the chance to interact and learn from them, making the experience comparable to the best networking meeting you’ve ever attended. You’ll not only pick up their good habits, but hopefully, take them onto successes of your own, and before you know it, people will also be learning from you.
