Like my last blog post about my investments in the stock market, I have ventured into a new broad hobby or what some may label as a profession. This time, it is poker and I do not at all condone or suggest that anyone goes and starts gambling as I refrain from playing with actual money but it is fun and can be a life skill for some. I am sure many of you have heard about the card game, but here is a brief summary for those who have not: A player bets that the value of his or her hand (random two cards) is greater than that of the hands held by others. Each subsequent player must either match or raise the bet or “fold”. The pot (“money”) is eventually won by either the player with the best hand when it comes to a showdown or the only player left when everyone else has folded. 
How My Poker Journey Began:
Roughly a month ago I was truly introduced to the game of poker after hearing for years sporadic mentions of it. The reason for my indulgence occurred because members of the lacrosse team began playing, playing with Josefine and her family, and finally the biggest culprit of them all; the mobile game World Series of Poker (WSOP). My record for each is surprisingly positive, bankrupting several teammates during our pasta party on Tuesday, bankrupting Josefine, and on the road to a billion chips in World Series of Poker again all with solely chips and no literal buy-in. Although all of this recent winning is inadvertently going to my head yet I have never gone against any poker master such as Frank Su. I have learned that he runs the “Poker” Club for a reason; do not mess with him.
Why Do I See Poker As a Life Skill?
I do believe that becoming educated on the game or at least the basics is a life skill. Compare it to the sarcastic theory that one needs to be good at golf to work in business or finance. Sitting with co-workers, friends/family or even strangers can all spontaneously call for a poker match. It is a universal strategy game that has higher stakes if you please take it there. Be smart and limit any spending on gambling in the future because as we all know it can tend to be quite ignorant. Although, the game also exercises the strategic practice of one’s risk management, analysis skills, and self-composure. Analyzing, budgeting, and executing a process in a timely manner is an applicable tool across life. Evaluation and decision-making are vital, with almost every waking moment requiring a decision from person to person. Yes, I do understand I may be bringing things slightly out of proportion as some may just call it gambling, but, these are legitimate benefits.
What I Have Learned Thus Far:
First of all, I now realize why casinos make so much money as these games they have manipulated and promoted worldwide are extremely addictive and misleading. The science behind poker or any form of gambling is a whole separate scientific discussion but there are countless sources expressing the addictive nature of the hobby. Just listing the first reliable source found where The Scientific American states “research to date shows that pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking. Just as substance addicts require increasingly strong hits to get high, compulsive gamblers pursue ever riskier ventures.” This is clearly a troubling fact and the casinos can be compared to drug dealers taking advantage of their users simply for the money and with no concern for their well-being.
Besides the addictive aspects of the game, poker can still be a fun game while psychological components are thrown left and right among players. Being able to pick up on subtle mannerisms, facial expressions, or habits that one may reveal during a game can increase your social awareness and ability to read a person. Seeing if someone is bluffing about anything through those subtleties can be translated into seeing fact from fiction in one’s speech. Alongside the other benefits of improving a multitude of skills, poker is not as shallow as it may appear on the surface.
All in all, I do not recommend gambling unless it is recreational and for educational purposes only. Thanks for listening to my TED talk.