Can Stress Be a Good Thing?
Online poker is considered by many to be the less stressful version of the game. After all, you just need to click buttons instead of dealing with flesh and blood players and wide eyed tourists. I would like to argue, however, that by removing the stress from the game online poker actually removes a vital component of our favorite card game. The stress in a brick and mortar casino forces everyone to carefully watch what they are doing. They learn to hide their tells, manage large sums of money, and stay focused despite distractions. Online poker doesn’t require this kid of discipline exactly because there is no stress agent to make people behave. It’s just you and a keyboard in a comfy chair in your own home. If you play online poker, it is very easy to get lazy in your poker habits. It is easy to become less vigilant simply because there is less stress. The lack of pressure that is trumpeted as one of the main benefits of online poker can actually have a detrimental effect on your poker player ability. Personally, I think that a little stress can be a good thing if it makes me a better poker player. What do you think?
