What Makes People Play Poker?
At first sight we can’t but agree with the statement “Life is like a game of poker: If you don’t put any in the pot, there won’t be any to take out”. On the other part, the answer to the question “Why people play poker” seems intricate. To be or not to be, to play or not to play?! Sometimes we play just for a play itself getting excited. Money, addiction, job, etc. are main reasons of the occasion.
Let’s take a look at real reasons:
Money. In spite of the fact that many people play poker for fun, some of them really like making money at it. Money rules the world and loves to be counted. Of course poker players crave for a lot of money, but these people are few. At the same time gamblers can get the works for losses. And this is the reverse of the medal. Besides, the more you play the more you have chances to improve your poker skills. And to lose much money as well.
Entertainment. Just about any game demands analytical skills and experience. If you want to win in such a competitive game like poker, you should bend every effort to understanding poker rules, the game necessitates the bit of luck, and master the art of card game. Only after that poker will become a consuming activity. Loads of people find this enjoyable and compare poker to playing sport. Keep in mind, don’t get swept up in the ‘entertainment’ nature of poker, because it is possible to lose a lot of money at the game.
Social communities. Many men prefer making friends over the card table. One may invite neighbors and colleagues to hang out and play cards, the rest can’t live without numerous online poker rooms available on the web, or casinos. Moreover, such friendly competitions remind me very much of everyday life persistence.
Education. Needless to say games as well as gambling (namely poker) develop memory, exploit a success, help to improve judgment skills (reading people) and sharpen logical and strategic skills.
The more facts of the matter we know, the more we know ‘the how and why of things’. Well, make up your mind and find an appropriate reason why play poker!? Poker is one of the few forms of wagering where you can actually win if you haven’t got gambling problems.
[tags] poker, poker rules, gambling, card games, casinos, online poker, money [/tags]
Little Known Ways to Recognize Poker Addiction
“Just because you are prone to addiction doesn’t mean you’re going to become addicted. It just means you’ve got to be careful.” Dr. Glen Hanson
Information for reflection. The term ‘addiction’ was previously applied exclusively to chemicals such as alcohol, drugs, or nicotine. With recent research on the brain and its processes, we now understand that many behaviors can become as chemically addictive as a substance. The term is often reserved for drug addictions but it’s sometimes applied to other compulsions, such as problem gambling, and compulsive overeating.
By the way, compulsive gambling can be categorized into two types: action gambling and escape gambling.
- In action gambling, the gambler is addicted to the thrill of risk-taking as his or her “substance of choice,” much in the same way that a cocaine addict is hooked on cocaine. The action itself becomes the drug. Action gamblers typically engage in games with other players, since part of the adrenaline rush is in the appearance or identity as a “winner.”
- Escape gambling occurs when the gambler seeks to blot out some discomforting feelings or emotional life crisis. The action of gambling is secondary to the numbing effect of the activity. Escape gamblers prefer more singular outlets such as slot machines, where they can avoid human contact. Men tend more towards action gambling, and women tend to become escape gamblers.
Just about everyone can become poker (gambling) addicted by act of law on gambling. With an explosion in legalized gambling around the country and more than 800 casinos in 28 states, the days when gamblers headed to only Las Vegas or Atlantic City are long gone.
According to the American Psychological Association, scientists find teenagers and young generation several times more likely to become pathological gamblers than adults. It’s not a secret that pathological reckless players use tobacco, alcohol, drugs more often than do other groups.
Statistics say that four to seven per cent of all people playing casino games are gambling addicts. But unfortunately only few of them understand the danger. And most of them have no idea their passion for gambling has become a disease.
How to recognize the “hidden illness” symptoms? And in general should we do that? The American Psychological Association reports ten diagnostic criteria for determining the extent of gambling addiction. These criteria are:
- Preoccupation – Preoccupied with gambling (e.g., preoccupied with reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money to gamble)
- Tolerance – Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement
- Withdrawal – Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling
- Escape – Gambles as a way of escaping from problems or relieving dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression)
- Chasing – After losing money gambling, often returns another day in order to get even (”chasing one’s losses”). Chasing is a classical behavior pattern characterizing pathological gambling.
- Lying – Lies to family members, therapists or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling
- Illegal acts – Has committed illegal acts (e.g., forgery, fraud, theft or embezzlement) in order to finance gambling
- Risked significant relationship – Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job or educational or career opportunity because of gambling
- Bailout – Has relied on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling
- Loss of control – Has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop gambling
Five or more of these signs = pathological gambler
Three or four = problem gambler
One or two = “at risk” gambler
If you realized that you are crazy about spieling and can’t live without poker. It’s your mania?! There are some organizations of anonymous gamblers that help folks from all round the world.
But I really believe it’s not you! Steer the golden mean!? Know how to cope with it?! For you it’s nothing more than amusement like beer, pool or snooker, football or basketball?! And you rarely play for vast sums of money!
[tags] poker, gambling, money, gamblers, casino, games, pool, snooker, play, addiction, reckless players, action gambling, escape gambling [/tags]
If You Don’t Get to Know More About Poker Hands Ranking Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later
Who knows absolutely nothing about poker and card games in general, has to remember that there are 52 cards in the pack. Keep in mind, the ranking of the individual cards is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. There is no ranking between the suits – so for instance the ace of spades and the ace of hearts are equal.
Taking into consideration poker, certain combinations of cards (hands) outrank other hands based on the frequency with which one or another combination appears. The player with best poker hand at the showdown wins the pot.
As a rule a poker hand consists of five cards. Any hand in a higher category beats any hand in a lower category (so for example any three of a kind beats any two pairs). Although used in poker, these hand rankings are also used in a variety of other card games.
Royal Flush. This is the highest poker hand. It consists of ace, king, queen, jack, ten, all in the same suit (clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds). As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.
Straight Flush. Five cards of the same suit in sequence. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so ♥5-♥4-♥3-♥2-♥A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush. Also a combination may be as follows: ♣4-♣5-♣6-♣7-♣8.
Four of a Kind. Four cards of one rank – such as four kings. The fifth card can is a kicker. This combination is sometimes called as “quads”, and in some parts of Europe it is called a “poker”, though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher – so K-K-K-K-2 is beaten by A-A-A-A-10. It can’t happen in standard poker, but if in some other game you need to compare two fours of a kind where the sets of four cards are of the same rank, then the one with the higher fifth card is better.
Full House (aka Full Boat). This consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank – for example ♥3-♠3-♥3-♦6-♠6 and two tens (”threes on sixes” or “threes full” or two pairs). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide.
Flush. Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example ♠K-♠J-♠9-♠3-♠2 beats ♦K-♦J-♦7-♦6-♦5 because the nine beats the seven.
Straight. Five cards of mixed suits in sequence – for example ♠Q-♦J-♥10-♠9-♠8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.
Three of a Kind (Trips/Triplets/Set/Prile). Three cards of the same rank plus two other cards. When comparing two threes of a kind the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank is better. So for example 7-7-7-4-2 beats 5-5-5-K-Q. If you have to compare two threes of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.
Two Pair. A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks, and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards – so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.
Pair. A hand with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better – so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8.
High Card. Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-6-4 because the jack beats the ten.
[tags] poker, gambling, games, cards, rules, hand rankings, flush, pair, house, clubs, hearts, spades, diamonds, ace, king, queen, jack [/tags]