Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group expects all young traders who join the trading giant to spend a minimum of 100 hours playing cards during their ten-week training program, writes Gunjan Banerji for The Wall Street Journal.

As soon as the stock market closes, they often head directly to a dedicated poker room at the firm’s Bala Cynwyd headquarters.

The firm’s co-founder Jeff Yass sometimes joins the games to scrutinize the hands that are being played by new hires and gauge how effective they are at bluffing. Additionally, thousands of Susquehanna employees take part in the firm’s annual poker tournament. At least three have so far scored wins at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

The SIG games involve no money. The skills exhibited at the table translate to respect from colleagues and bosses and improve performance on the trading floor, according to the company’s top brass.

Todd Simkin, an associate director at Susquehanna International Group, has trained hundreds of rookie traders since he joined the firm.

“It’s a very good model for making decisions with imperfect information,” he said of poker.

Read more about Susquehanna International in The Wall Street Journal.