LESSONS FROM THE FELT — 9 TRAITS FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE
Poker has been a serious hobby of mine for over 20 years now. It is an incredibly mentally challenging game, which provides numerous crossover lessons for real life. Faraz Jaka, a San Jose native and poker legend with over $8 million in career tournament earnings, summarizes some of these critical life lessons in this outstanding article that I wanted to share.
Whether you play poker or not, these lessons can provide some extreme insight to help you improve your personal and professional life. Seriously consider the 9 points and how they might apply to you. I have slightly amended Faraz’s original work, just for clarity for those who aren’t familiar with poker terms.
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The strengths and weaknesses that are revealed at a poker table are often a reflection of the same ones that show up in people’s lives off the felt. Here are 9 traits you can conquer in poker and in life.
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Bankroll Management
5 years of serious poker = a lifetime of financial lessons. Discipline, risk management, and emotional resilience transfer directly to:
💰 Personal finance
📈 Investing
📊 Business growth
🎯 Career decisions
Control the swings at the table, control them in life. Learn to invest your time, energy, and money in places that are likely to return more than you put in.
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Patience
The best players wait for the right spot to strike, not the first opportunity. Off the felt, patience helps:
🤝 Negotiation
💼 Career moves
♥️ Relationships
𐦂𖨆𐀪𖠋 Family
🕴️ Business
Rushing leads to mistakes. Patience pays dividends, whether it’s chips or life rewards. Never give up what you want most for what you want now.
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Emotional Control
“Tilt” at the poker table is a state of mental or emotional upset that negatively affects a player’s decision-making and performance. This also happens in life when unexpected challenges arise. Learning to stay calm after a bad beat or a bad day teaches emotional resilience.
💪✊
Poker forces you to manage stress, frustration, and uncertainty – ALL skills that help you make better decisions and choose better actions, both personally and professionally.
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Decision-Making Under Pressure
A massive bluff or a life-changing opportunity both require sharp thinking.
📍🤔 🔪
Poker teaches you to analyze incomplete information, trust your gut, and commit decisively. These are skills used in leadership, investing, and any high-stakes situations.
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Adaptability
Poker forces you to adjust to changing dynamics:
♠️ New players
📊 Evolving strategies
💵 Stack sizes
Life is no different. Adapting to change – whether in business, personal health, or relationships – is a skill that is refined in every session at a poker table.
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Long-Term Thinking
Poker teaches you to think beyond the next hand. Short-term lesses are part of the process, but in the long-term, strategy wins.
Apply this to:
📈 Investing
🏢 Business
🏋️ Health
♥️ Relationships
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Community & Relationships
Poker isn’t a solo journey. The best players learn by connecting with others, discussing strategy, sharing best practices, and supporting each other.
🌐 👥👥
In life, building a strong network of mentors, peers, and friends is a game-changer for growth and success. Don’t play alone!
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Humility
Poker will humble you. Some days, better players or tough tables will test your limits. You can’t walk away; you adapt, survive, and learn.
🦋🏆💡
In life, acknowledging when others are better isn’t defeat – it’s a chance to grow and come back stronger.
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Self-Awareness
Poker exposes your blind spots – tilt, ego, and overconfidence. The table holds up a mirror, showing where you need to improve.
-` 🪞´-
In life, self-awareness is key to personal growth, better relationships, and achieving your goals. It all starts with owning your flaws.
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Many thanks to Faraz Jaka for allowing me to repost his brilliant thoughts. You can find Faraz at Final Tables all over the poker calendar, or by visiting:
If you enjoyed these lessons that cross over between poker and real life, check out my original “Lessons From The Felt”.