New. Poker as a method of "teaching" business

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News / New. Poker as a method of "teaching" business

3 September 2007 14:36

Maps - as a way of learning? People have been playing cards since time immemorial - mostly for entertainment, although some also for earning money. But professional card players say the game teaches them a lot: concentration, observation of other people's behavior, endurance and strategic thinking. It is not without reason that in departments that train professional intelligence officers, students are taught to play bridge, a game that promotes the development of analytical skills.

Playing poker teaches analytical thinking. Each player has his own goal and his own strategy; it is necessary to understand someone else’s strategy, develop and contrast your own, and quickly make a decision.

Due to the fact that a new direction has come from Europe to Russia: simulation business games used in business training, one of the types of these games is the use of poker in training company personnel and in developing business thinking.

Assess and calculate risks

One of the most famous business coaches in London for the use of poker as a simulation game is Caspar Berry . His attitude towards the game is clearly visible from his exhibition posters: “Life is like playing cards. The hand that deals the cards determines your boundaries, and how you play them is your free choice.” (Jawaharlal Nehru) A former actor, screenwriter, and professional poker player in many Las Vegas casinos, Berry has sufficient knowledge accumulated over the years of playing poker, as well as a special artistry that helps him work with students in trainings. According to Berry, poker is, first of all, the ability to evaluate and calculate all possible risks , which is absolutely invaluable in business, where you often have to make decisions and take risks every day.

Poker is, first of all, the ability to calculate your moves and your opponent’s moves in advance, and also to keep your “head cool,” i.e. don't show any excitement. According to Berry, professional poker players differ from gamblers precisely in that they have learned to calculate possible risks and know how to think calmly, the basis of passion.

Besides, poker is a game of mystery . In it you never know what card is waiting for you, and what card is about to leave. As a result, those who can keep multi-move combinations in their heads and also know how to lose and wait win. After all, what is modern business? This is a kind of long-distance race in which different players run, with different abilities and ideas about business. Some run slowly and sedately, some constantly look back, some look only at their competitors, and some rush forward, destroying everything in their path. Will everyone reach the finish line? Not everyone, moreover, only a few people will be winners.

Psychologists have long said that in business it is not so much important to be able to win as to learn to lose . So, poker teaches you to lose in order to win at one moment, and a big win. As Caspar Berry says, professional poker players are capable of losing one game after another, but at one point they win big. You say, good luck! Yes, it is possible, but such luck is based on a system of carefully calculated risks and a well-thought-out strategy. Poker strategy is based on careful mathematical calculations and probability theory.

Think and win

Poker also teaches responsibility, an extremely important quality in business, because by assessing risks and making informed decisions, the player takes responsibility. In his simulation games, Caspar Berry uses poker techniques to teach students to take a more balanced and thoughtful approach, as well as responsibility for the risks they take. Clients who order poker-based training from Berry are the largest companies: British Petroleum, Barkley Bank, Nestle, the UK Government Department National Treasure. This already indicates the demand for this business technology among the largest business giants.

Poker is a psychological game . Those who are more interested in psychology benefit from it. This is a kind of confrontation between players, and the ability to see behind the mask that one or another player has put on himself, his true intentions. To do this, professional players study people's facial expressions and gestures, body language, and sometimes the smallest movements of the eyebrows or eyes can say a lot. Also, in poker there is a tactic of influencing a partner - psychological pressure, which can be manifested by gestures, words, movements, and glances. Therefore, the ability is formed to recognize what is behind these reactions, how exactly your partner wants to influence you, and learn to build your defense, i.e. protect yourself from volitional influence. Keep your emotions under control and constantly analyze both your actions and the enemy. Agree, these are invaluable qualities for business.

The rules of poker are both simple and complex . Simple - because they are quite easy to learn: plays from 2 to 10 players, with a deck of 52 cards, each player is dealt 5 cards in turn; after the distribution, the player can refuse to play or raise his bet and replace any number of his cards; As a result, you need to make a combination of 5 cards and the one with the strongest combination wins. At the same time, poker is difficult because there is always the possibility of surprises and the need for choice. It is precisely this choice that is also used as the basis for the use of poker in business. Business is always a choice of one decision or another, and, often, business processes take place, as in poker, in conditions of uncertainty. Poker teaches you how to make informed decisions in the face of uncertainty - a great skill for business.