Poker is a game that puts an individual’s analytical, mathematical and interpersonal skills to the test – but it also teaches life lessons that can apply to many areas of your life. From learning to control emotions to understanding the importance of patience, poker is a game that has a lot more going on than meets the eye at the table.

First up, the rules of poker are relatively simple and easy to learn. There are two people who have to put in money before seeing their hand each time (the small blind and the big blind), which immediately creates a pot and encourages competition. Once everyone has called the dealer deals three cards face up on the board that anyone can use, this is known as the flop.

After this the betting begins again with players having to raise or fold depending on their hand strength and the strength of their opponents. One of the key things to learn in poker is how to read your opponents, this means studying their tells (e.g. eye movements, idiosyncrasies, body language etc), as well as studying their betting behavior.

The best way to become a better poker player is to play and study the game regularly, however it’s also important to invest time into learning from other sources such as poker blogs, videos, articles and professional poker players. This will help you to gain a broader insight into the game and will help you to progress further in your poker journey.