That’s an odd title for an article to be sure but those casino aficionados will be aware that being successful at the Roulette wheel, the Blackjack table or the Poker tournament requires a certain type of mental and physical preparation. This post is also at odds with an article we featured well over a year ago which lambasted many Olympic activities as not being sports at all, but pointless pastimes which just waste everybody’s time.
However we like to make the occasional exception and because there are some keen gamblers among us, the impartial choice is those games of skill and luck which comprise an evening out at the casino or perhaps some hours spent at home, playing roulette on one’s laptop. But how do you keep fit for these activities and how do you persuade an overweight poker player that spending a few hours a week in the gym is beneficial.
Training for Poker
The first place to start is to make the connection between physical exercise and mental acuity. If you want to spend a number of hours concentrating on whether or not your opponents are bluffing, you must be fit enough to be able to stay alert and sharp enough to maintain your concentration. A junk food-eating poker player leading a sedentary lifestyle will be a poorer player than one who pounds the treadmill or the exercise bike on a regular basis.
On a similar note, physical exercise not only keeps the muscles and joints fit and healthy but also produces greater levels of natural substances which keep the brain active and alert. If you have the pleasure of following the Twitter feed of some of the top poker players such as Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth, you won’t fail to notice their frequent mentions of gym attendance at whichever hotel in whichever part of the world they are currently playing.
Exercise is especially important for you if you play as an amateur in the evening but spend all day sitting in front of a computer in the office. 30 minutes a day is all it will take to make you and your brain fitter and your general lifestyle healthier.