Poker is commonly thought of as a game of chance, but it’s also a game of skill and strategy. Self-made billionaire Jenny Just, who co-founded financial firm PEAK6 Investments with her husband after working as an options trader in Chicago, says that learning poker as a young woman helped her to develop skills in strategic thinking and risk management. These are the skills that can be applied to business and other aspects of life, she says.

In poker, players must be able to read their opponents’ tells in order to pick up on little details about them that could give away their strength. This is a skill that can be transferred to the workplace and helps you to improve your perception and people skills. Poker also teaches you to evaluate the odds of a given hand and determine whether or not it’s worth playing.

Finally, poker can teach you to control your emotions at the table. While it’s fine to get excited over a good hand, you need to be able to keep your emotions in check, particularly when things aren’t going well. If you let your anger or frustration boil over, you could make mistakes that can have a negative impact on your poker game and your life in general. In the end, poker can help you to become a more patient person and learn to manage your money wisely. It can even bring physical benefits, as the competitive environment in which you play can release an adrenaline rush that can boost your energy levels for hours afterward.