Poker is a game that doesn’t just challenge your mental and mathematical abilities, but also pushes you to think critically. It’s a game that isn’t won by chance alone, but rather by the players’ decisions made on the basis of probability, psychology, and game theory.
The game requires you to learn how to read other players, especially their betting patterns. This is a very important skill, and you should spend time watching other players at your table to improve your ability. This will help you spot other player’s weaknesses, which is critical in deciding how to play your hands.
Another valuable thing that poker teaches you is to learn how to deal with defeat. If you’re a loser, you must be able to accept your loss and move on without getting angry or throwing a fit. This is a very important life skill and one that will benefit you even beyond the poker tables.
The learning landscape for poker is completely different than it was during the Moneymaker boom. There are countless poker forums to join, a number of great poker programs you can use to train and improve your game, and hundreds of books on the subject. It’s best to find a few poker strategy books that have been written recently, as the game has changed a lot in the past few years. This way, you can be sure that the book is up to date on current strategies.