On Poker

Alan Cai

October 4, 2024

I was introduced to poker by a close friend in my freshman year of high school and have played it with relative frequency ever since. Although I am vehemently against gambling on principle, I do believe poker without the financial stakes could be a valuable tool in building various skills.

Poker can assist in developing interpersonal skills. Communication isn’t just about words. Body language, facial expressions, and tone are all crucial aspects expert communicators must master. Poker is an excellent tool that helps with honing those skills and bringing communication to the next level. When poker players see their cards, opponents may take advantage of the game by reading the tell. Minimizing facial reactions to seeing cards or chips is a skill that can be transferable to many other facets of life. Similarly, being able to read a tell or produce a false one is an exceptional talent that can help individuals read the room in professional settings and interpret the reactions of loved ones.

Additionally, poker can serve as a form of motivation. In poker, players must take risks to stay afloat in the game. Even when they have a worse hand, playing aggressively and putting more chips in can help deliver a favorable result. The willingness to take risks even without sufficient resources is an important quality to retain. It allows individuals to draw from their inner motivation and pursue things that they would not otherwise have the courage to do. On the flip side, poker can also instill a healthy dose of prudence into individuals’ spending habits and teach people how to most effectively play their cards.

Finally, poker is an excellent activity for building relationships. Whether it’s playing a long game of poker after dinner with family or speeding through a tournament with friends after school, poker can strengthen bonds between people, serve as a forum by which close circles communicate, and foster positive relationships with new friends.

Gambling in itself is an activity to be despised. Throughout human history, it has proven time and time again to be the bane of generational fortunes and the doom of everyday folks. Yet poker should not be played for the sole purpose of gambling money. Like chess or any other board game, it can be a strategy-based activity over which strong links and skills can be formed and refined.