Poker is a game that puts your analytical, mathematical and interpersonal skills to the test. But it also indirectly teaches you important life lessons – and the best part is, these lessons are transferable to many different aspects of your life.

A key skill in poker is learning to make decisions under uncertainty. This is something that many people struggle with in their lives, whether they are dealing with finance, work or other situations. The key to making smart decisions under uncertainty is having an open mind and estimating probabilities of different scenarios and outcomes. This is exactly what you have to do in poker if you want to succeed.

Another important aspect of poker is paying attention to your opponents. This requires a lot of concentration and focus to pick up on subtle physical poker tells or changes in attitude. But it is also important if you want to get ahead in the game. Good players are able to recognise these tells and act accordingly, which can lead to huge swings in the game.

Experienced poker players also know that it’s important to stay in control of their emotions and not let them get away from them. If you start to feel frustrated or tired, it’s better to step away from the table than try to force your way through a bad hand. Similarly, experienced players won’t chase their losses and they will learn to fold when they have a bad hand.