Today my conversation was a fun and educational one! I talked with Professional Poker Player Amanda Botfeld. Her new book is A Girl's Guide To Poker. She talked about how when girls and boys grow up differently "traditionally"  girls are at a disadvantage when it comes to the game of life, negotiating and making decisions from having incomplete information.

Poker is usually thought of as a game dominated by male players – and when you look at who’s playing at the tables, it’s generally true. But it’s not just a game that teaches you how to play your cards – it also teaches valuable life skills. Strategic thinking, risk assessment, and, of course, developing more emotional and relational intelligence (body language, anyone?). These are skills that men learn when they’re taught how to play and grow as they spend more time at the tables, but more often than not, women are left out of these lessons. That exclusion leaves women at a disadvantage when it comes to applying these skills to their life, whether it be their careers, romantic relationships or anywhere else where they have to make judgement calls and quick decisions. 

Professional poker player Amanda Botfeld wrote ‘A Girl's Guide to Poker’ to help women learn how to play the actual game, as well as learn the life lessons that accompany proficiency at the table. She is also teaching women to play remotely via Zoom during this time. 

Learn more at Amanda's website and she's all over social media too