Why Poker Players Make Great Entrepreneurs

Ben Lamb is a great example of Why Poker Players Make Great Entrepreneurs
Photo by CC user flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

A plethora of transferable skills are required to be a top level sports star. So many athletes excel when it comes to adapting the abilities they learnt whilst mastering their chosen discipline, to make them successful in other areas and ventures.

Professional poker players are no different. Their mental strength and psychological dexterity makes them perfect candidates for entering the business world. A recent article by partypoker looked at some of the key business attributes learnt on the felt, so with that in mind here are three reasons why poker players make great entrepeneurs.

Projecting Confidence

Any sign of weakness – both in poker and business circles – will be exploited and prayed upon. As a poker player, you learn how to project an air of self-confidence, you learn how your seated posture at the table can portray a position of power and how to bet in ways that not only secure the pot when you have the strongest hand, but to intimidate your opponent and bluff them out of a winning situation.

Patience and Concentration

In any walk of life, crucial decisions should not be rushed. Sometimes in a poker tournament, you could spend hours and hours getting dealt nothing but rubbish – so you need a very high level of patience to ensure you aren’t rattled by your bad luck and don’t resort to any desperate antics. You need to concentrate for every second of the game, so when your misfortune does finally turn and the good hands start to flow in your direction, you are mentally prepared to act in a positive way.

Risk and Reward

Assessing the situation is one of the most important aspects in poker. You need to learn when the best time is to make your move and when to take a backseat. Bravery and bottle are well and good – and are both very important characteristics shared by entrepreneurs and professional card players – but if you make your move at the wrong time, you are in terrible danger of getting caught out.

Acknowledging when there is a gap in the business market, or recognising the best time to push your chips into the middle of the poker table, require the same psychological qualities and it’s why poker players adapt to business life very effectively.