Poker News NEWS

Poker is Becoming More Popular

Published by admin on November 28, 2016

Poker is more popular than ever

Poker has truly evolved in every sense during last few years. Those times when people thought poker players are those old-fashioned mobster lookalikes with large cigars and expensive gold watches and heavy jewelry are long gone. Nowadays it is much more likely to see young players dominating tables and online poker rooms. Most of these young players live a healthy lifestyle together with balanced diet and regular exercise regime. New generation of poker players is very different from the previous one.

Many new books about poker strategy also speak for physical exercise regime to improve stamina and mental endurance. Physical stamina is latest addition to every player’s toolbox, because usually tournaments last several days and days are long so key is to stay focused and patient and being physically fit helps. Some poker players have even become role models for youngsters, because of their healthy lives and financial success.

This one of the many examples how poker has become more accepted in society and popularity is still growing on a breakneck speed. Especially online poker has been growing all around the world. Because of that many players who started playing online have also tried their luck in regular casinos and tournaments are more popular than ever. You can read more here.

Media has helped poker to grow

Sometimes there have been stories when someone qualifies for a very large tournament by winning a seat from online satellite qualifier. Then this amateur managed to beat all the professionals and win the whole tournament. These kinds of rags to riches stories have inspired many players to try their wings in poker. And most of the players who are successful today have actually started playing online and then moved on to live games. Today live games are also widely televised and broadcasts have lots of viewers which also increases popularity of poker.

Poker has become a sport

Image of the game has also changed. Perception of players is different as explained in the above paragraph, but the game itself is seen more like a sport instead of gambling. And that is also true, because skill plays a big part in poker. Sometimes you get lucky and win, but in the long run only practise makes perfect.  That’s why it very common to see the same familiar faces in top 15 of bigger tournaments.

What are the keys to success?

Naturally mathematical probabilities are a factor in poker so good maths skills are helpful. Experience is also important, because more hands you play the better you will become. Playing a lot will help you to avoid some rookie mistakes and it will also help you to build up your patience and endurance. Of course when you play a lot you will inevitably lose more hands, but this also builds you up as a player so that you won’t get frustrated easily and are able to keep your cool even when the losses seem to be building up. Losing always hurts, but the idea in poker is not to win every hand, but instead you should try to win the hands that matter. Playing a lot will also help you to realise that short-term losses occur every now and then, but it is more important to stay focused and think about the long term instead of trying your everything to avoid losing money. Big part of playing as professional is sponsors. Good examples of poker sponsors are giants as GUTS and ComeOn.

Bankroll management

This is one of the most important aspects of the game. There are different ways to deal with bankroll management, but what is advisable is to have a strategy and stick with it. As an example, only play as much as you can lose without ending up in financial difficulties. You can also set a limit for yourself that in case you lose or win certain percentage of your bankroll then you will stop playing for the day.

Especially new players sometimes after losing some money try to cover their losses by playing more and taking ever larger risks and the result usually is that they end up losing even more. With experience and effective bankroll management you can minimize the effects of losing. Of course, losing hurts, but after all, losing is part of the game too.