Poker has long been considered more of a card game than a cognitive game, but it can actually improve your brain in a number of ways. These benefits range from learning risk assessment skills to becoming more creative.

The Most Important Skill of All: Patience

One of the most important traits of a good poker player is patience. You must be able to wait for optimal hands and position, as well as read the other players at the table. The best poker players also know when to quit a session and try again another day.

This skill translates to life outside of the poker table as well, especially when it comes to work and relationships. It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t go your way, but the most successful poker players are able to accept failure as part of the process and learn from it.

Developing a Strategy

Poker requires a lot of thinking and planning, and it’s not uncommon for players to develop entire books on their strategies. However, the most successful players don’t stop there; they constantly tweak their approach based on new information or even just to make improvements to existing strategies.

In addition, poker teaches you to think about odds and probability in a more realistic way. It’s not uncommon for a poker player to look at a hand and immediately start calculating the chances of making it. This can help you become a more confident decision-maker in other areas of your life, as well as improve your mental arithmetic skills.