Can Playing Poker Help You In Business?

 “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” ~ Steve Martin

Texas No-Limit Hold’em has some fascinating characteristics that can make it useful for business owners and anyone else in business. 

This article explores how knowledge at the poker tables can be directly applied to business.  But first, a little about Texas No-Limit Hold’em.

Background
Mystery shrouds when Texas No-Limit Hold’em was invented, however it is thought of have started in the early 1900’s in Robstown Texas.  It is one of the most complex games that has ever been created.  Today there are artificial intelligence programs that are striving to understand the optimal ways of playing the game.

Texas Hold’em is incredibly popular in the United States and around the world.   According to the WPT (World Poker Tour) there are 60 million poker players in the US and 100 million poker players around the world.   More people play poker than either golf, tennis or billiards.

The gambling gene is deeply rooted in the American psyche.  We are a nation of immigrants and risk takers.  We like to take calculated risks at the poker tables and in the business world. It is part of who we are. 
 
Is Texas No-Limit Hold’em Gambling?
Even though the variability in poker is huge there are still players who continually rise to the top.  They can be seen on TV, movies, YouTube and more.  Many of these players are larger than life.  They are true mavericks with colorful personalities just some of the highest-ranking business owners.  

Poker players just like sharp business owners take their profession seriously and do the things necessary to win more consistently than the other players.   Consequently, poker is really a game of skill, not luck, in the long run.

“Poker is a skill game pretending to be a chance game.”
~ James Altucher

How is Poker Like Business?
To become an excellent poker player, one must have many of the same skills that make people successful in business. Some of the key ones are:

• Great decision Making
• Playing the Situation
• Strategy and Tactics
• Sound Judgement
• Mental Endurance
• Adaptability
• Reputation
• Confidence
• Discipline
• Patience
• Intuition
• Mastering Poker Math
• And more…
  
  

It takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work and to become excellent at the game of Texas No-Limit Hold’em and in the world of business.   The best players are continually learning, growing and looking for a competitive edge.   
 
Conclusion
As with poker it is equally important in business to continually learn and grow to gain a competitive edge.  There are countless books, online and live classes, videos, training sites and more to improve one’s business skills.  Since all serious business owners’ study much of the same material, the competitive advantage gained by absorbing similar material is somewhat diluted.   Having said that, there is another way to becoming a savvier business owner.

A great number of directly applicable business skills can be strengthened at the poker tables playing Texas No-Limit Hold’em.   If you haven’t played poker, open a discussion with other business owners who have played (or currently play).  Ask them whether their business skills have increased because of the abilities they developed as a playing poker.

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