It might seem like kind of an odd thing to say, but you really can advance your business skillset with what you’ve learned when playing poker. For all of you poker aficionados out there, you know what we are saying. For those who have never learned the game, consider the following three ways poker can help you advance your skillset, and you just might be taking up the game this very day.

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1. Learning to Strategize

While poker can be a game of luck, winning usually takes a keen sense of strategy. In fact, many coaches teach their teams the fine art of strategizing by using examples from the pros. Even if the luck of the draw isn’t with you, it is still possible to pull in the kitty if you have a keen sense of what other players are doing so that you can pre-empt them at their next move. It’s all about strategy in the end and so it is with business.

Consider all the times you feel like you just aren’t getting a break. Sales are down and even though your products or services are better than the competition, they are experiencing major growth while you are stagnating. Data analysis is probably where you are faltering because you need that to see where and how their numbers are climbing. Analyzing what you believe will be the competition’s next move can help you get there first. Strategy starts with understanding your competitors and data analysis will give you that information.

2. Consider Various Outcomes

If you are unfamiliar with the game of poker, you might want to check out some online real money casinos USA. Read a few reviews then join in a game or two. As you will soon learn, luck isn’t always going to be with you, or the other players for that matter. Things change as they don’t get the cards that they needed so they switch up strategies mid game because it hasn’t gone as expected so far. 

You can see the change in strategy as they suddenly begin raising or suddenly fold or call. If you want to succeed in business, the skill you need is that which helps you see and analyze various outcomes. That way, if things don’t go as you projected, you have another ‘play’ in mind to turn things around.

3. Learning from Defeat

If every time a poker player walked away from the table every time they lost a hand, there’d be no one left to play. The same holds true in the world of business. If your marketing strategy didn’t work and your numbers aren’t climbing, why even bother? Why continue to sink money into marketing when it obviously doesn’t work?

That isn’t true at all! Just because one marketing strategy didn’t work as you had expected, doesn’t mean that all efforts will fail. It means you need to go back to the table, just like those players, and re-strategize for the ultimate win. Why did your marketing campaign fail and how can you change it up so that you are reaching the audience you are trying to target with effective calls-to-action? Step back and assess those other outcomes you’ve contemplated, accepting defeat this round. However, learn to use this defeat to win the next hand. We leave you with a closing thought learned from those winning players you’ve watched.

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.