Poker is a game that requires you to be able to make decisions when you don’t have all the information. Making decisions under uncertainty is a skill that can be applied in many areas of life, including business, finance and health.
Poker also teaches you to be more comfortable taking risks. This is especially true in lower-stakes games where it’s easier to manage the size of your risks. It’s important to learn how to take risks and realize that some of them will fail, but this experience will build your comfort level over time.
Another important aspect of poker is observing the other players and reading their tells. These aren’t the movie-like reads where you call their raise because they fiddled with their chips or looked at their watch, but rather how they play and what they do in different situations. Being observant of your opponents will help you understand them and make better decisions at the table, but will also improve your ability to read people in general in life.
Reading poker strategy books is a great way to get better at the game. However, you should be wary of the fact that the game has changed a lot since the first book on the subject was published in 1979. You should try to find more recent strategy books that reflect current game theory. It is also helpful to discuss hands with winning players and try to figure out what they did in difficult spots.