The drama of being able to sniff out bluffs and knowing when to call doesn’t really transmit to the audience when you watch Texas Hold ‘Em on ESPN or in films. Professional poker isn’t necessarily a thin sport where people simply bet on cards and see if they luck out in the end. It’s much more strategic than that. It is a game of human psychology which uses a variety of different skills which are difficult to master, taking a lot of people many years to perfect.These “people-reading” skills also help in people and life lessons too, given that it teaches one how to make most of an opportunity. “Don’t rush your way in playing your pocket aces, relish the moment and make the most money by slow-playing it”- this is a lesson most useful in say, courting a girl. Funny as it sounds, when she does give you an opportunity, don’t jump in like some excited kid. Lure her to you slowly like how an expert poker player lures his/her opponent into calling his aces. As the old adage goes, “take it slow”. Many strong hands in poker have ruined their chances to win big cash by over-anxious players who bet too high too fast and end the hand prematurely.Also, it helps one think of things in many levels, not simply black and white. Poker isn’t a game of betting and folding, it includes many variables, like the opponent’s betting patterns and the way he/she is playing so far. Top poker players think this way, and playing poker helps one think about problems and finally decide when he/she is done in thinking everything through.Lastly, a lesson that can be gleaned and implicitly imbued in poker is that one should take calculated risks. Risk-taking is an important and inevitable aspect in ones life, and meaning of risk in poker is oftentimes exaggerated by critics. The thing is, it helps you realize which ones are worth fighting for and which ones are not. In business, it helps you focus on one investment, given a general rule in poker: be tight yet aggressive, doing risks that maximize the profitability of your hand. So to speak, look at what you invested in and make the most out of it; don’t diversify and raise the probability that they won’t work for you.Given all the arguments above then it’s good to say that poker teaches the old and young alike not only to money effectively by subconscious lessons, it branches out, teaching us about life in general.