Poker is one of the most pleasurable past times around today. The popularity in both live and online arenas is massive. But what are the main reasons people play poker? We could potentially offer 20 reasons but we’re going to limit it to our top 5 in this article. Read on to learn why people play poker.
Side Income
The most obvious reason for playing poker is to create a side income. This is a goal many people set. It’s very common in the modern age for people to have multiple streams of income. Poker can be another source of income, earnt from playing part-time poker playing. In addition to earning the money, some people actually get the money tax free. This is the case in places like the United Kingdom.
Intellectual Challenge
Another reason to try poker is for the intellectual challenge. Whilst the rules of poker are simple, its an incredibly complex game. An individual has to master countless areas, requiring different skills to truly become a master. This is extremely appealing for people who enjoy mental challenges. The thrill of learning about poker maths, psychology, hand reading, bet sizing and bluffing can be very alluring to people.
Social Aspect
Poker is a people game. Unlike other forms of gambling, you’re not up against a bookie or the house. Instead, you’re facing off against other individuals. There is a social element to it that makes it something more than a card game. Whether you’re playing online or live, you can interact with the other opponents. This can be achieved through the live chat function when playing online or through conversation if you’re playing in a casino.
Some older poker players play purely for the social aspect. It’s a social activity that takes them away from their normal day to day life. That is why you’ll often see traffic higher on weekends.
Competitive Aspect
The world is a competitive place and winning is key to most parts of our life. This competitive aspect is very much in the poker world. Consider a tournament, there may be 1,000 entrants, but only one of them will win the entire tournament. Now, that doesn’t mean that 999 are losers as usually 10-15% of the tournament entrants will get paid but the competition part of poker holds a lot of appeal and is definitely a big reason people play.
The prestige of being the best, generating the most money or winning tournaments is what keeps a lot of people interested in playing regularly.
Pure Fun
Lastly, another top reason for playing poker is the fun of it. It’s a very enjoyable game that can be played in different environments. Not everyone is playing for money, many people just enjoy the game and play for the love of it. In a zero sum game like poker, there are losers, but if they are losing money they can afford to, and enjoy the game, who cares? How much does one spend on a night out drinking? A recreational player may lose a fraction of that playing cards and have more fun and suffer no hangover.
A player can also win while having fun. In fact, it’s often said that those who enjoy playing are more likely to do better in the long run as they’re not treating it as seriously and are more relaxed. Therefore, they can make better decisions.
