Poker has grown from an aristocratic pastime to one of the most popular card games in the world. It is a test of, and a window into, human nature, with the element of luck bolstering or tanking even a good player. To understand its intricacies, and to become a force at your table, is deeply satisfying and well worth the gamble.
The game of poker requires discipline and focus. It’s easy to get distracted or bored during a game, and your natural tendency to play too cautiously or bluff recklessly will try to derail you. To be successful, you have to commit to your plan and stick with it, even when it’s boring or frustrating.
You need to be able to read your opponents and understand the way they think about the game. Every action you take, from a simple check to a big call or raise, tells a story about you and gives your opponent information they can use to build a picture of your strength or weakness.
You will have winning hands and losing ones, but the goal is to maximise your value from the former while minimising your losses on the latter. This is known as MinMax, or Minimise Losses – Maximise Wins. And it’s a philosophy that can be applied to life as well as poker, although the risks of losing a hand in a casino are far less severe than those of missing out on a dream job in a bad economy.