Lessons We Get from Playing Online Poker

There was an interesting article on business week that discussed how playing and winning online poker or a conventional poker for that matter can help you in making your business even successful.

The main point of BusinessWeek is that you improve people skills while playing poker.

"Acting persuasively, reading opponents’ motives, and handling the subtleties of a monetary transaction are skills the poker greats work tirelessly to hone. These same skills are essential for negotiating a business deal."

Come to think of it, I'd have to agree. However other than the suave people skills you learn, online poker is good for you since you gain other values that you can apply to life in general. I have below the summary of David Sklansky's (professional poker player) post on why poker (online poker) is good for you.

Here’s a summary:

• Poker improves your study habits.
• Poker develops your maths skills.
• Poker develops your logical thinking.
• Poker develops your concentration.
• Poker develops your patience.
• Poker develops your discipline.
• Poker teaches you to focus on the long term.
• Poker teaches you that forgoing a profit equals taking a loss (and vice versa).
• Poker develops your realism.
• Poker teaches you how to adjust to changing situations.
• Poker teaches you to adjust to diverse people.
• Poker teaches you to avoid racial, sexual and other prejudices.
• Poker teaches you to handle losses.
• Poker teaches you to depersonalize conflict.
• Poker teaches you how to plan.
• Poker teaches you how to handle deceptive people.
• Poker teaches you how to choose the “best” games.
• Poker teaches you the benefits of acting last.
• Poker teaches you how to concentrate on the important subjects.
• Poker teaches you how to apply probability theory.
• Poker teaches you how to conduct risk-reward analysis.
• Poker teaches you how to put things in context and evaluate all variables.
• Poker teaches you “how to get into people’s heads”.

Who would have thought that you learn a lot of things from playing online poker. If you read the book, "The Art of War", most of these are quite essential not only in actual battle but in life. Many successful online (& offline) poker players have gained these skills and they acquired more out of life because of it. Although not everything in online (offline) poker is dandy, there are some downsides to it too. Always remember to play in moderation.