There are going to be times when you think the odds are in your favor and you have the best cards to win a hand. There’s always a chance, at work or at the poker table, that your best might not be good enough. Does that mean you quit? No. You get up and try again. It’s an opportunity to learn, not to give up. The odds will be in your favor if you make sound judgments, negotiate appropriately, and play your cards right.
Kim C.
I’m currently negotiating a contract position with a large health-care company. After our initial telephone call, I could tell the company thought I was a weak opponent. In a follow-up email, I was very aggressive in pointing out issues they had not previously discussed. I also know they are pot-committed, as the client specifically requested me for this project. I’m ready to go all-in.
Arianne M.
Playing poker helps in knowing when to act. In business, you’ll encounter situations where you want to set the tone, and you should act first. In poker, the first-mover advantage can set the stage for the discussion. Listening to all the arguments before making the decision is the same as watching the story unfold at the poker table. Recognize your position in the negotiation. If you go all-in too soon, you might scare them off.
Erin S.
I am a psychiatrist and work in a busy emergency room in an academic hospital. I manage crisis in a high-risk environment on a daily basis. To be successful, I have to be assertive, confident, and a risk-taker. Poker has helped me hone these skills. I am a better negotiator, an excellent patient advocate, and a confident clinician thanks to my poker skills.
Usha P.
Poker requires the high level of emotional intelligence women need across many business contexts, especially ones that are high-pressured and emotionally charged. When playing poker, one needs to be aware of how one is feeling and manage those emotions so they don’t get the best of you. Likewise, when facing tense, high-pressure business situations, such as negotiating for scarce resources or making time-critical decisions, we need to make sure our emotions don’t get the best of us and cloud our judgement.
Gail B.
I like how the focus was on helping women empower themselves. The program combined poker instruction with parallels to each woman’s individual professional journey. I appreciated how each breakout room had a facilitator so that the attendees weren’t left to figure it out on their own. We were all learning something we may not have known before with people we may have never met before, so this made things less stressful.
Caitlan E.
I have issues with taking risks. Poker Power has improved my skills and taught me when to take risks and why it’s important to do so.
Karen S.
I like knowing how to play poker because when I went to go play with the guys, one of them didn’t know how to play, and I got to show off that I could play.
Lucie H.
I joined Poker Power because as a women’s right advocate, their mission really resonated with me of giving women a seat at the poker table, which is a space typically dominated by men.
Gabby A.
I am 50-years-old and I don’t think it’s too late to learn new things. Learning to play poker has helped me make connections with other women, it’s helped me learn that if you make a mistake, just do it differently the next time. Win or lose, you don’t fail at trying.
Kim C.
I love poker because of its complexity, as well as the sense of challenge and competition it brings. I became a Poker Power teacher in order to show the benefits of this game to all women and present poker as it should be—a unique game of skill and strategy.
Sarah S.
I learned to have meaningful conversations with my 13-year-old daughter. Now she’s learning to play and gaining skills for her journey to adulthood.
Lindsay E.
I got involved with Poker Power as soon as I saw their mission statement—teaching one million women poker skills that can also be applied to life.
Hannah F.
I tend to be passive and noticed that was my first instinct. Learning from a female poker pro makes a difference! It gave me and my daughter more confidence and business skills.
Ann R.
This was absolutely empowering. I walked away feeling ten times more confident, just from learning how to play poker. It was interactive, informative, and incredible to see how a mindset shift can change my outlook in a professional setting. And I felt like a part of something even though it was virtual.
Madison S.
Poker Power has really taught me how to be confident and to use those skills that I learned on the table, off the table.
Neha P.
Just as we are reading the table in poker, we are reading the room at work and in life. Poker has enhanced my emotional intelligence and has been teaching me to be comfortable in taking risks. I am a rule follower, so taking risks does not come naturally to me. Winning is not the whole story. We need to stay in the game and learn from it.
Monica D.
Poker has made me step more out of my comfort zone and take more risks such as applying to more adventurous jobs outside my major.
Karen G.
My experience of poker power has been very positive, very educational, and empowering; and not just actual poker playing, but in cultivating a sense of self in general.
Youmna R.
Poker allowed me to step out of the box of being a young twenty-something girl and into being a force to be reckoned with! Teaching at Poker Power allows me to share this amazing game with women beyond any reach I could have accomplished on my own – it’s a team effort!
Amanda B.
A woman who plays poker is one who is confident and one who is not afraid to take risks because she knows the return.
Journee L.
I’ve joined Poker Power taking the unique decision-making in poker and applying it to business strategy and everyday life.
Melanie W.
I think as a female we tend to be risk adverse. But Poker Power has really taught me to be more confident in my decisions and play the game of poker more aggressively, which has really translated to life.
Abby M.
I like the social aspect of being a part of the Poker Power club, but I am also improving my critical thinking skills. I had always thought of poker as a game that cowboys play, but I was wrong. It really is about risk and reward.
Lan Q.
Everything we can do to raise those voices and get a seat at the table. That’s what really draws me to the mission of Poker Power because I think we represent a big piece of the population, and we should definitely have a bigger voice and more places at the head of the table in the C-suite.
Cynthia D.
As a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, I’d spent many years working on negotiations, so I thought I knew a lot about the art of making deals; yet once I started learning how to play, I could immediately see applications that related to my job: when to go all in, when to fold, how to recognize tells.
Rachel S.
I have been a business owner for almost 20 years. Many qualities that make a great business owner also make a great poker player like discipline, patience, risk analysis, networking, and plenty of determination. I am now a professional poker player and I am so excited to teach you the great game of poker and hopefully give you a lifetime love of the game!
Tammi E.
As a female founder, I am tired of the rhetoric about empowerment and equality, but your program actually does empower women…I’ve noticed how the program has helped me in negotiations.
Julie L.
If you’re passionate about empowering women, I highly recommend checking out and sharing Poker Power with your community. This incredible educational organization and group of passionate instructors go above and beyond to achieve their mission: empower ONE MILLION fearless women through the game-changing skill set of poker. I’ve just completed 2/3 of their super accessible lesson series and have honed not only fundamental game strategy skill sets, but also critical life and career skills around risk management, negotiation, and decision making.
Mary Serafin
The best part of honing your poker skills is discovering a window into the universe of math and probability and really being able to philosophically come to terms with risk and reward in your own life.
Alexandra C.
I didn’t realize how many parallels there are between poker and life. Being able to read the room helps women gauge when and how to take risks and exhibit strategy and discipline. Bluffing may leverage one’s ability to negotiate deals, salaries, or pay raises. Claiming a seat at the table not only helps women grow in their careers but to move into higher positions where they can create more room at the table for their female peers as well.
Caitlan E.
We're Not Bluffing
Poker Power teaches game-changing skills. But you already know that. Tell us what it did for you, so we can tell the world.
