How Poker Shaped My Mindset for Business

Before I built businesses, I played poker.

Not just casually.

I studied the game. Made money. Travelled the world. Won tournaments.

It paid for my freedom long before a salary ever did.

And while I’m not playing for pots these days, the lessons never left.

Poker didn’t just teach me cards—it taught me life, business, and human behaviour.

🧠 What Poker Really Teaches You

1. Probability > Emotion

You don’t make decisions based on how you feel.

You make them based on what’s likely.

Sound familiar?

Founders who lead from emotion make expensive mistakes.

I always ask: What are the odds? What’s the downside? What’s the edge?

2. You Can Win With a Bad Hand (or Lose With a Good One)

Sometimes you play perfectly and lose.

Sometimes you play terribly and win.

That’s variance.

Same in business.

You can do everything “right” and still get crushed.

The work is in detaching your identity from the outcome.

Long-term success comes from consistently good decision-making—not short-term luck.

3. Everyone’s Bluffing

In poker, you learn to read between the lines.

Body language. Tension. Timing.

In business, it’s the same:

• Investors bluff confidence

• Competitors bluff strength

• Founders bluff clarity

Learn to see what’s really happening. Not just what’s being shown.

4. Bankroll Management = Survival

In poker, you protect your stack.

You don’t risk it all in one hand—even if it looks good.

In business?

Same deal.

• Don’t bet the company on an untested product.

• Don’t stretch the team past breaking point.

• Don’t grow without buffers.

If you run out of chips, you’re out of the game.

🧩 The Biggest Lesson: Play Long-Term Games

The best poker players (and founders) think in decades.

They’re not here for ego.

They’re not chasing short wins.

They’re managing risk, compounding small edges, and staying calm under pressure.

That’s business.

That’s leadership.

That’s what I try to embody every day.

🎯 Business = Psychology + Numbers + Nerves

If you’re a founder navigating chaos, the poker mindset helps:

• Play the hand you’ve got

• Manage your risk

• Read the table

• Trust your edge

• Keep your cool

And when it’s time to fold—fold fast and clean.

👉 Want Help Thinking Like a High-Stakes Founder?

→ [Download the Decision-Making Framework] (coming soon)

→ Or [Book a Fit Call] and let’s sharpen your edge

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