What makes Cricket so amazing?
Cricket is one of the most popular sports worldwide. In India, we follow the game wholeheartedly. Although it is widely considered as a game of stamina, in reality, it is a game of focus, determination, and strategies.
Ah…just like Poker?
Poker is a highly entertaining skill-based card game which is rapidly gaining popularity among the youth nowadays. The game can be played with a deck of cards between 6 to 9 players. To win, the player needs to create the best 5-card combination as per hand ranking rules. Texas Hold’em is a most-played variant of poker across the globe. Like cricket, Texas Hold’em Poker rules are easy to learn but to become a successful player, you have to implement critical thinking, observation, patience, and decision-making skills at the tables.
Here are our views on how these amazing games are surprisingly similar to each other-
Taking decisions under pressure
To test the audacity of a player, push him into a crisis situation.
As a batsman, when you have to chase a mammoth score and the first 2-3 wickets fall in the first few overs, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the sudden sense of responsibility. If you are at the striking end, your gameplay will have a great impact on your team’s chance of winning the match. When a poker player sits on a game table against opponents of various skill-sets and face complex challenges, he feels immense pressure to survive for a long time. It’s not about your level of experience. It’s about how to stay level-headed and working towards achieving your goal one step at a time. In both games, the players have to deal with uncertainty and work out the best strategy under pressure of various types.
Emotion control is the key
What is the major difference between those who rise to the top and those who fall short?
Emotion control.
In both games, you have to maintain control of your emotions in order to maintain your focus and make calculated decisions. In cricket, when you hit the bowler for a huge six but near the boundary line, a fielder catches the ball, you may find your blood pressure rising. In Poker, when you lose chips due to a bad beat, you may feel like a wave of emotions has just hit you badly. The ability to deal with emotions comes with experience. These types of moments can strike anytime, so it is crucial to learn how to better regulate your emotions without being a hothead. If you manage to maintain your calm and composure throughout the game without blowing up, you
Strategic thinking
In both games, the player has to collect information about the opponent’s game-plan and study it carefully to develop a strategy. The strategy must be flexible enough to be modified as per the dynamic situation on the game table/pitch. You have to make logical decisions by weighing up and simplify the situation quickly. An unavoidable event can interfere with your plan of action anytime, so you have to consider every possible outcome (short term/long term) and assess the likelihood of occurrence of them to determine the best possible decision. When you make a wrong move, you must know how to act quickly to minimize its effect.
From this, one thing is clear. In both games, you have to be mentally tough to deal with unforeseen circumstances. In both, you have to adjust your strategies and tactics as needed. There is no doubt that your foresightedness is the most important weapon in your arsenal as a cricketer as well as a Poker Player as it provides you a better sense of how your decisions will impact your game.
To play online poker in India, you can easily create an account on a gaming site and buy virtual chips through any major payment method (Debit Card/Credit Card/Pay By UPI/Net Banking/Online Wallet). You can participate in online poker cash games and tournaments with real money and win fabulous prizes.
If you are looking for the best game of wits to improve your mental skills and implement them effectively in a cricket match, Poker is the perfect option for you!
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