The game of poker has received a bad rap for years for being too boring. Due to longperiods of inactivity in a game, players tend to tune out of the game. The funny thing
is, Baseball is also one that many of these same people happen to like even though
sometimes it also has has similar long periods of inactivity, even if those long periods are
not shown on TV.
In big poker tournaments, such as the highlights we see in the World Series of Poker, has
skewed the reality of how long of a process that the game can really be. Sometimes even
in baseball, during the World Series there are long period of innings where there isn’t
much going on, like in poker except one person raising and others folding.
That can change quickly and sometimes just as dramatically as a big solo shot homer. A
player can make a raise, followed by a three-bet from another player. The original raiser
then moves all-in and gets called. Now, all the people watching the event are on their
feet cheering and screaming for their favorite player either to catch his card, or for his
hand to hold. As the turn and river cards fall, the crowd reacts much like baseball crowds
when their opponent catches their card.
Popular websites often report only the big moments of the game, but never talk much
about the long periods of inaction. This is much the same as a baseball game. You
don’t hear much about a pitcher masterfully recorded 15 outs in a row other than maybe
a mention of the actual stat. In poker, you don’t hear much about a player that is
consistently taking more than his share of blinds with frequent position raises other than a
small blurb. Fans miss these details and only see the big moments.
Poker, like baseball, is a long game that produces big moments of action but can be
preceded by long periods of inactivity and boredom. For some, this turns off fans. One
reason edited TV poker does well is because they cut out these long periods of inactivity.
In the end, both games play out very similar, but true baseball fans appreciate the game in
its entirely, much like true poker players know that a poker tournament is more than just
a few select TV hands.
is, Baseball is also one that many of these same people happen to like even though
sometimes it also has has similar long periods of inactivity, even if those long periods are
not shown on TV.
In big poker tournaments, such as the highlights we see in the World Series of Poker, has
skewed the reality of how long of a process that the game can really be. Sometimes even
in baseball, during the World Series there are long period of innings where there isn’t
much going on, like in poker except one person raising and others folding.
That can change quickly and sometimes just as dramatically as a big solo shot homer. A
player can make a raise, followed by a three-bet from another player. The original raiser
then moves all-in and gets called. Now, all the people watching the event are on their
feet cheering and screaming for their favorite player either to catch his card, or for his
hand to hold. As the turn and river cards fall, the crowd reacts much like baseball crowds
when their opponent catches their card.
Popular websites often report only the big moments of the game, but never talk much
about the long periods of inaction. This is much the same as a baseball game. You
don’t hear much about a pitcher masterfully recorded 15 outs in a row other than maybe
a mention of the actual stat. In poker, you don’t hear much about a player that is
consistently taking more than his share of blinds with frequent position raises other than a
small blurb. Fans miss these details and only see the big moments.
Poker, like baseball, is a long game that produces big moments of action but can be
preceded by long periods of inactivity and boredom. For some, this turns off fans. One
reason edited TV poker does well is because they cut out these long periods of inactivity.
In the end, both games play out very similar, but true baseball fans appreciate the game in
its entirely, much like true poker players know that a poker tournament is more than just
a few select TV hands.
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