Does emotional stability affect the success of online poker players?

While poker is a game of chance, there is skill and decision-making involved, and the quality of those decisions depends on both knowledge of the game and the ability to control one's emotions. The results of a new study that evaluates emotionality, experience level, and success among online poker players are presented in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

In the article "Experienced Poker Players are Emotionally Stable," Michael Laakasuo, Jussi Palomäki, and Mikko Salmela, University of Helsinki, Finland, propose that emotional stability is both a predictive and enabling factor for becoming an experienced and successful poker player. The authors' assessments of emotionality also led to the conclusion that poker players who prefer live play rather than online games are more likely to be extroverted and open to experiences.

"Previous studies have shown that online poker players tend to be introverted individuals and that those who perform better at poker are less neurotic," says Editor-in-Chief Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCB, BCN, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California. "This study, however, takes research a step further by comparing online and offline players."