Poker is a card game where the players do not know their opponents’ cards and only have two of their own. The aim is to make a five-card “hand” using your own two cards and the community cards. While the outcome of any particular hand is largely determined by chance, long-term profitability is determined by players’ actions chosen on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.

While luck plays a role in the short run, the skills learned and practiced by seasoned poker players can dramatically improve one’s chances at winning — both at poker and in life. A few of these key skills include:

Getting better at making quick math decisions. Calculating odds and pot probabilities will help you decide whether to call, raise, or fold a given hand. The more you play, the faster and better you will become at these calculations.

Remaining emotionally stable and calm in high-pressure situations. The best poker players are able to assess their own emotions and understand the ways that they can give away information to their opponents through their body language. This skill will help them to keep their cool in high-stakes situations outside of the poker table as well.

Learning how to walk away from a losing hand. While this is a difficult skill to develop, it can be extremely beneficial in the long-term. It will help you to avoid the temptation to chase your losses and to instead use each loss as an opportunity to get better.