Poker is a card game that involves betting between two players and a winner is determined when all players reveal their hands. It has hundreds, if not thousands of variations, but most follow the same objective: making the best five-card hand.

There are many reasons why poker is a great skill to develop, even outside the realm of gambling. It teaches players to analyse their opponents, read them and make decisions quickly and correctly – a crucial skill in any field. It also teaches players how to handle disappointments and failure in a mature manner. The ability to accept defeat rather than chasing losses is something that can be applied to all areas of life.

Aside from developing these skills, poker is a good way to exercise and strengthen your brain. Quick calculations (like implied odds and pot odds) are literally exercises for your brain, which help it build and strengthen the myelin that protects the neural pathways responsible for this. The more you play, the better you get.

Of course, you’re going to be dealt winning hands and losing ones – and it is the goal of any good player to maximise the value of their wins and minimise their losses on the losers. This is called the ‘MinMax’ approach. This is what separates good players from the rest of us, and why poker is so much more than a game of chance.