Poker is a card game played by two or more players and contested over a pot of chips (representing money). The game can be derived from other betting games, such as bluffing, but has many unique features. The objective of the game is to win the pot by making a high-ranking hand. The pot is the aggregate amount of bets made during a deal.
One of the most valuable skills that poker teaches is decision-making under uncertainty. This is a critical skill for life in general, but especially for business owners and managers. To make good decisions in the face of uncertainty, you must estimate probabilities and then weigh the different scenarios that could unfold.
Another valuable poker skill is patience. Poker requires a lot of slow, methodical play that can be boring for the other players. But the longer you play poker, the more you develop this patience and it can serve you well in a business environment when facing complex, high-stress situations.
Being able to read the other players at the table is also an important poker skill. This is called reading tells, and it involves observing the way other players behave during the game to pick up on subtle clues that they might be bluffing or have a strong hand. This kind of body language skill is valuable to have in any situation, but it is particularly useful for a business owner or manager when dealing with a challenging situation.