Top 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Play Poker
Contrary to the myth that poker is a game of luck, it is a game of skill like chess. Poker is complete with element of strategy, odd calculation, management of resources, analysis of the competition and psychology. The game is said to hold a good value for entrepreneurs, because it shares lots of core skills, which are really useful to the entrepreneurship. Here is how poker skills can help your business:

Makes You A Better Decision Maker
True, poker is a great way to learn good decision-making skills in life. Since one wrong move on the table may cause you lose the money, you have to assess and analyze your risks before making a move on the table. Just as you need to predict the behavior of your customers, gain information and interact with them, the same way poker also requires you to gain information about your opponents and their hands. The information you gain helps you to make a decision whether or not you should raise, call, check or fold. Before making a move, you to always have to analyze if you are in a good or bad position at the table. So, poker helps to hone decision-making skills, which may help in business.

Learn to Seize Right Opportunities
As an entrepreneur, every opportunity is a chance for you to ride the wave. The game of poker teaches you to find out and seize opportunities. It is very simple, as soon as you have planned out your strategies, read your opponents, analyzed the odds and measured your stakes, it is time to take an action to set up your game. You are likely to lose in the short run, but with your well-thought plans, you are more likely to finish on the top in the long run and beat your competitors in the poker world. If you really want to learn when and how to seize opportunities, playing poker must be a great idea.

Teaches You to Read the Competition
When you are at the live poker table, you are carefully reading and analyzing the competition. You have to read other players (your competitors) around the table- the strengths and weaknesses of their hands and their habits and tendencies. If you are able to read another poker player and at the same time analyze your situation well, you are surely able to make a good decision and beat the competition. So playing poker is no different from businesses where you have to understand the competition. A good understanding of the competitors enables you to make correct moves, both in poker and businesses.

Teaches You Calculating Risks
Just like business, you are constantly analyzing the potential gain or loss and then deciding when to take or avoid risks. It requires quick math, assessment and sharp mind to calculate your risks at the table. Going all-in may be exciting situation, as it represents the huge loss or win. Smart players take risk only when the odds are heavily in their favour. Such players never go all-in when the big loss might hit them. When running a business, an entrepreneur may be in a situation where he or she needs to risk it all. My advice to you is to analyze your situation carefully and act smartly by reducing the possible risks. This strategy will not only help you in poker game but also in your business as well.

Learn Patience & Deal with Pressure
Poker tournaments run for several days and there is always lots of pressure of competing with the best poker players, surviving in the tournaments and finally emerging a winner. You require both patience and ability to deal with the pressure there. A poker tournament starts with large number players on Day 1. But after several days of the play, most players drop out and just one person emerges the winner. In the same way, many companies start up. The ones that become successful are run by entrepreneurs who are willing to work non-stop and deal with the ongoing pressure. Patience is the key in both business as well as poker. Lose your patience, and you lose your business or game.

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