24/03/2009 In Poker

Everyone knows that the economy has been struggling for some time, and may continue to struggle in the months ahead. This begs the question, are people still playing poker? Should you continue to play poker? What are the effects of the crisis on poker? Playing Poker in the Financial Crisis for Amateurs A lot of it depends on why you play poker. If you play poker for recreation/entertainment, you should only stop if your income prohibits you from setting aside a playing bankroll. If you can still put aside a certain amount each week or month for play without affecting your household finances, and that amount is sufficient for playing the games you like to play, you should by all means continue. If your bankroll is by necessity smaller than it used to be, you should consider switching to lower stakes games. If you have no bankroll at all, you’ll have to limit yourself to free games or microstakes games until things turn around. Playing Poker in the Financial Crisis for Pros Professionals may be concerned that there will not be good enough games in the wake of the financial crisis. The reality is that as more and more people have become educated about poker, good games have been more challenging to find. However, they are still, have always been and will always be out there. There will always be players whose jobs are not affected by the financial crisis, or who still have a sizeable bankroll. The only wrinkle is that pros will need to be more selective about their games. However, if they are, the good games are out there to find. Future of Poker and the Financial Crisis As the economy improves, there may be an influx of new money and both skilled amateurs and pros can take advantage. However, this may not happen for some time. In the meantime, poker players should rely on the same kind of patience and self-discipline that got them to where they are in poker in the first place. As always, this should produce good long-term results.