On the surface, it might not be the most obvious choice that a teenage girl should learn to play poker. “Another distraction from studying and chores? No thanks!” But at Poker Power, we know that poker is more than a game. It’s a game changer.
Poker is a mind sport, much like chess or backgammon. When taught properly, teenage girls can learn real-life skills from poker that they can refine over time, including resiliency, strategic thinking, and decision-making.
Poker gives girls a strategic edge
It’s no secret that teenage girls have a lot on their plates. In their final years of high school, they are faced with peer pressure, finals, and college admissions, all of which are amplified by the overwhelming presence of social media. It’s important to provide these girls with the coping skills to go all-in and stay focused on their priorities.
Poker challenges girls to evaluate the cards they are dealt, reflect on the cards on the table, use their critical-thinking skills, and make educated decisions. At the poker table, a logical decision can be the difference between going all-in on a bluff, or folding to protect your investment. In their teenage years, this can apply to a girl’s personal safety when deciding whether or not to get in a car with people they might not know, or what university will be the best fit to prepare them for their dream jobs.
Poker gives girls confidence and resilience
Today’s world encourages girls to stand up for themselves and others. We tell them to be the change they want to see in the world. However, inspirational memes and shareable Instagram quotes won’t help them achieve those goals.
Poker builds confidence and resilience, two key factors to finding and asserting their voices. When you bet or raise in poker, you’re setting the price of what your hand is worth. In a college admissions interview, a girl’s voice is her most prized possession. Having the confidence to make a lasting first impression after a 30-minute conversation could be the difference between being accepted or wait-listed at your dream school. Teen girls can harness the power of poker to be fearless and to own their seat at any table, including one with a college admissions rep.
Poker gives girls financial guidance
While learning the game of poker, math skills take on a real-world meaning. Girls learn to calculate the number of outs (the unseen cards that can improve your hand) they have when holding various hands. They will have to keep track of how much money is in the pot versus the amount in their own chip stacks and determine safe bets based on the funds they have available. They will calculate their odds to determine if they should bet or raise.
Forbes shared that women often lack the confidence in their abilities in math. If these skills are taught earlier in a girl’s education, they will have a lasting impact. In poker, as they sharpen their math skills, girls will be more likely to make resourceful moves and win more often. In their day-to-day lives, these skills can lead to smarter financial choices, including saving, budgeting, and efficient allocation of their money.
Poker gives girls the power
When poker is used as a curriculum for teaching life skills, it’s done in a recreational, friendly setting. Instead of real money, girls are taught to win a pot of skills far more valuable. They master the basics of the game of Texas Hold’em, including making bets, raising, folding, and going all-in. They learn the importance of position at the poker table and the significance of the dealer button. They identify the ideal positions for playing premium hands, and when to take some risks with marginal hands.
Poker Power expert female instructors lead girls in online, fun, and educational poker lessons that also require cultivating social graces and intuition. Players learn how to engage in table talk to gain information. They will be able to more aptly balance social niceties with reading people and building upon their intuitions. The girls will also learn when they may be able to bluff another player, and, most importantly, they will understand the importance of acting with confidence.
The poker table is every table, and we should be teaching girls to take their seats using the skills they learn while playing poker. Sign up and discover the power of poker.
