Poker is a card game played between two or more people where players put in chips before seeing their hands. They aim to form the best possible 5-card hand based on their own 2 cards and the 5 community cards. If they beat all opponents and no one else calls, they win the “pot” (all bets made so far).
Poker requires a great deal of concentration; you need to pay attention to your own cards and also your opponents (if playing in person). It can help improve your focus which will be useful in other areas of your life.
It can teach you how to read your opponents, noticing their body language for clues about whether they are bluffing or just a strong player. This is a valuable skill in any situation where you need to assess other people, from business deals to social situations.
It can help you develop a strategy based on your own experience and self-examination. There are many books that describe strategies and a good poker player constantly tweaks their play based on what they learn from reviewing past games or even discussing their own plays with others for an objective perspective. The learning process itself can also improve your ability to handle failure and turn mistakes into learning opportunities. It can teach you how to manage risk in your gambling, always betting less than you can afford to lose and knowing when to quit if you’re losing too much.