Poker is a card game played by two or more people and involves betting between the players. The object of the game is to form the best possible hand based on the cards in your possession and compete with other players for the pot, which is the sum total of all the bets placed by everyone at the table. The highest-ranking player wins the pot. There are many different strategies to playing poker, and there are a lot of different variations on the rules.
Poker teaches you how to assess risk. It is a very important life skill to be able to evaluate the potential negative outcomes of any decision you might make, and poker gives you plenty of practice doing just that.
In addition to risk assessment, poker also helps you develop critical thinking skills. You cannot win poker purely by chance or a guessing game; you have to think logically about the cards in front of you and determine the best course of action for your next move.
Poker can also teach you to be more assertive and to take control of a situation. If you are at a bad table, for example, it is a good idea to try and get a new seat, rather than sitting around waiting for the cards to fall your way. The more assertive you become at the table, the more likely it is that you will win money. This can be a useful skill to transfer over to other areas of your life.