Can playing poker make you a better business owner? Find out how these two worlds collide!

Poker is a game that requires you to be able to read people. It also teaches you how to tell when people are bluffing and when they're not. It's not just about knowing where the cards are, it's about understanding how other players act based on their body language and facial expressions as well. Are they sweating? Are they sweating more than usual? What does their tone of voice sound like? These are all things that help inform your decision-making process as well.

You need to be a good reader.

Being a good poker player means being able to read people. You need to be able to understand what they're thinking, and predict their actions based on that information. In business, this skill can help you make better decisions about hiring employees, negotiating deals with suppliers, and understanding your customers' needs.

Business owners need to be lifelong learners--and reading is one of the best ways for any entrepreneur to improve themselves and their businesses!

You need to be able to tell when other players are bluffing.

Bluffing is a very common part of poker, but it's also something that you can use in business. When you're bluffing, you make a bet that you have no intention of following through with. The idea behind this move is to trick other players into folding their hands so that they don't lose any money or get stuck with a bad hand.

For example, let's say there are four players at our table and we're playing Texas Hold 'Em (a popular game). I look down at my cards and see two kings; therefore, my hand is strong enough to win against any other combination except an ace-high straight flush (and even then I might still win). But instead of betting big immediately like most people would do when they have such good cards, I decide not only will I not raise but also that I'm going to try and get everyone else out first before raising myself up higher than anyone else's bets could go! This is called "bluffing".

You need to know when it's time to fold.

It's always better to fold and lose than to keep playing and lose more.

The best poker players know when it's time to fold, even if it feels like your hand could be good enough. If you think about it, this is also true in business: there are times when you should give up on a project or idea because the cost of continuing is greater than any potential benefit. You don't want your company burning through money just because they think they'll win at some point down the road!

There's strength in numbers.

When you're playing poker, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and lose track of what's happening around you. But if you're playing with a group of people--whether it's just two or several dozen--the game becomes more dynamic. Not only can each player help each other out through teamwork and information sharing, but they also have access to more information than they would otherwise. For example:

If one person notices someone else acting suspiciously during their hand (e.g., folding too early), then they may decide not to play against that person again because their behavior might mean they have a strong hand or know something about another player's hand that could give them an advantage over everyone else at the table.

Understanding other people helps you understand yourself better.

It's not just about understanding others, though. It's also about understanding yourself.

For example: when you play poker, you are forced to confront your own emotions and learn how to control them. This is an incredibly valuable skill for business owners because it helps us understand what we want out of life--and what we don't want. It also allows us to understand our capabilities and limitations better so that we can make better decisions in our personal lives as well as at work!

Being able to read people, and understand them at a deep level will make you a better business owner and leader in general

Being able to read people, and understand them at a deep level will make you a better business owner and leader in general.

But how does one get good at reading people? By doing it! It's like riding on a bike or playing basketball--you can read all the books in the world about riding bikes or playing basketball, but until you put yourself out there and start pedaling around town (or shooting hoops), those theories won't mean much to your ability to ride/play ball. The same goes for poker: reading hands requires experience, which comes from playing hands--and playing hands requires reading hands.

Conclusion

I think it's safe to say that playing poker can help you become a better leader and business owner. It certainly has helped me! My advice? Get out there and try your hand at this unique game--who knows? You might just find yourself becoming a better person in the process. Don't get me started on playing Craps! lol - That's a whole different level of skill. Hard 8's all day.