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People compete against each other for millions of dollars in events that are televised live on the sports networks, but that does make poker a sport? It does take incredible stamina and concentration to play Texas Hold-em for hours on end over several days, just as they do in the World Series of Poker. But, I still would not call the players athletes. Have you seen some of them?
Doyle Brunson, the dean of the poker world, looks like he is about 150 years old and Chris Ferguson, who is nicknamed “Jesus,” does not appear to be very athletic at all with his long hair and beard. While they may not be athletes, they are very smart and have nerves of steel. They are also fierce competitors. There are a number of things that great athletes and great poker players have in common.
To excel at poker you must know your competition. The players look for what they call “tells,” which will help them interpret how good of a hand their opponent has. It could be how much they bet, how they hold their cards, or what they say. As the old saying goes, “You’ve gotta know when to hold-em and know when to fold-em,” and knowing the other players “tells” can help you make the right call.
Poker is a great game to play at home with a group of friends. Even if you only put up a couple of bucks, it is fun to try and guess what the other players have, and try to bluff your way through. It does not take much to organize a poker night, just stock up on drinks and snacks and call your buddies over. If you really want to impress them, buy some poker tables, like the ones used on television, and make your game look very official.
