Poker isn’t just a fun game to play; it can also help you improve your cognitive skills. It trains you to make decisions with incomplete information and to factor in the possibility of being wrong. These are skills that you can apply to all aspects of life, from business to personal relationships.

As you play poker, learn to read other players and watch for tells (not just nervous habits like fiddling with their chips or wearing a ring). Every action – whether they fold, call, check, or raise – gives off bits of information about the strength of their hand. For example, if someone takes a long time to decide on an action, it’s likely because they are weighing up the pros and cons of their hand against yours.

Also, study the different types of poker hands to know what to look for. For example, a full house is three matching cards of one rank and two matching cards of another rank. A flush is five consecutive cards of the same suit. And a straight is five cards of consecutive ranks, but from more than one suit. This is a good way to practice your math and internalize the calculations so you can play poker faster and more efficiently. The more you play and observe experienced players, the quicker your instincts will become. You can even write down your actions and how the other players reacted to build up your intuition.