Interesting Find
Pokernews.com has found an odd correlation that you may want to hear about. Call it a conspiracy or call it simply good marketing, but casinos are looking to siphon your money away from the poker table and into more lucrative investments for them. Don’t believe me? Go to your local casino, or if there’s not one local, go to one close by and notice that very conspicuously placed next to the poker room is the sports betting section. You see, poker rooms don’t generate near the capital that the electronic machines, video poker, craps, roulette and the various other casino games do. So as a result, the management has found a way to tempt our gambling habits by offering us conveniently placed sports betting. While this may not be a totally bad thing, I mean let’s face it live poker is boring if you play with a tight aggressive style, folding hand after hand, one thing this does take away is your ability to study players. Ok, now you’re asking, how in the world did he make that leap in logic, right? Well consider the following scenario. You place a sports bet on a game being broadcast on the television right above your table. You’re diverting your attention from the game of poker, to watch the team or match you bet on. And this is a great way to pass the time while playing live poker, where hands per hour are miniscule compared to online hold ‘em. Still, you have to wonder, is this done on purpose to get people to intentionally play bad poker. It makes sense from a financial perspective. Get the players sweating about the sports bet they just made, and even the good poker players won’t be playing their optimal game. And if they’re not playing optimally, they’re spewing chips around. And if they’re spewing chips around, then they’re making bigger pots. And if they’re making bigger pots, then the house is making more of a profit from the rake. See, simple isn’t it? So that being said, I advise against making a sports bet prior to sitting down for a session of poker. It’ll just end up being a distraction to you and your game. And if you simply must insist that you make that bet, bet on a game or match that will air after you’re done with the cards.
