Poker Pitfalls With Negative Physical Impacts

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Have you ever noticed that some poker players seem to age quicker than others? Or may you’ve noticed that some poker players do not seem to be happy despite being highly successful. There are several reasons behind this, and they are all pitfalls of playing poker professionally.

Today, we will take a look at some of the pitfalls of poker that have negative physical impacts on players. Keep these in mind when deciding whether to play the game as a profession.

Poker Has Constant Mental and Emotional Stress

Poker is considered a mind sport. Players are constantly expending significant mental energies in the game. These energies bring about a significant amount of mental stress. This stress often is accompanied by significant emotional distress. That’s why poker players go on tilt.

This constant stress has a cumulative physical toll on a player. Even with the best relaxation and stress-reduction techniques, many players will eventually have some type of physical reaction to all of the stress.

Poker is a Sedentary Lifestyle

Poker is a very sedentary lifestyle. It requires a ton of sitting in one spot. Even if you take regular breaks, you’re still sitting much more than the average person. Couple this with poor diet and health choices and playing poker can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.

It was a lot worse back in the pre-Poker Boom days. Many modern players are taking extra steps to focus on their health. However, some still struggle, especially those that have special dietary needs.

Poker Can Be a Lonely Profession

While poker is a social game, it is often a lonely profession. That’s because most significant others don’t understand or appreciate what it takes to become a successful player. The long hours and financial swings often lead to strife and contention between couples. That’s why you don’t see a lot of successful marriages amongst poker players. The exception is poker players that marry other poker players.

Poker Can Be Financially Devastating

How many times have you heard about a poker pro that has gone broke, managed to build a big bankroll again, and then lose it all again? This type of swingy lifestyle is common for many poker players. Unless they have other income streams, playing poker can be financially devastating at times.

The downswings associated with poker will lead to additional mental and emotional stress. This often leads to other problems and even prolonged downswings. To make things worse, poker games are tougher than ever, so the odds of a major downswing are much higher than in the past.

Poker Can Be Physically Dangerous

While we are no longer in the “wild west” days of live poker, there are still times where playing poker can be physically dangerous. We’ve all heard stories about players getting robbed for having large sums of cash on them. Other players have had their homes or hotel rooms were broken into.

Then there are times where opponents will get so mad about losing that they will try and physically assault you. Also, many casinos are in sketchier areas, so there are always chances that you will be approached by criminals. At best, these encounters can be scary. At worst, you could end up in the hospital.

These Impacts Apply to Online Poker as Well

The advantage of playing online poker is that don’t have to worry about traveling to the casino and you can avoid some of the safety pitfalls associated with live poker. However, other pitfalls still apply. You still have emotional stress, mental stress, worries about downswings, etc.

As such, playing online poker professionally can still be as challenging or demanding as playing the live game. Knowing some of the above struggles can help you make better decisions regarding whether to turn pro. If you do turn pro, you can take steps to try and avoid some of these pitfalls to improve your overall quality of life.