Can playing poker be good for you? Poker as a transferable skill

Much of poker's appeal is due to the fact that, unlike many other forms of gambling, the scope to influence the outcome is vast. Put simply, it is primarily a game of skill. Although some of the necessary skills can be inherent (such as emotional intelligence, i.e., the ability to process emotional information, particularly as it involves the perception, assimilation, understanding, and management of emotion), many of the more idiosyncratic skills are only acquired through experience. As a result, successful poker players will always seek to improve by being critical of their own play and assimilating a behavioural repertoire of opponents' playing styles. Some sense of humility is required.