Geeks Playing Poker?

Ben Collins writes "I recently won a satellite tournament at Full Tilt Poker for entry into the World Poker Tour Final at Foxwoods Casino. I picked up poker as a hobby about 4 months ago, and consider myself a decent player, maybe due to programming experience (analytical thinking). Any other programmers/computer people find that they can play poker better than the average person because of their computer experience?"

Luck

[Anonymous Coward]

I prefer luck over skill in poker. Bet high, never fold, and one of those times I'll come out near even, maybe.

Definitely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Coding also improved my sexual prowess.

Poker Bloke

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course you play better than the average person. You're better than all of us. Would you like to sit and put a few dollars down?

Re:Teh Gates!

[Lord Kano]

How else was he supposed to pay for sex?

LK

Re:Not analytical thinking

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

you play by "feeling" the opponents, and your hands, and just "knowing" when the stars are aligned and when you should go.

I can't believe I just wrote that...

No, I suck.

[DdJ]

No. No, I completely suck at it, and will probably never get any better. You should all come teach me how to play, in a high-stakes game at my place. Show a bad player like me how it's really done.

Computer experience definitely helps

[Anonymous Coward]

Project planning experience really helped me learn to bluff. And my unwillingness to comment source apparently translated into minimal tells. You can't read me or my code.

I'm super smart programmer guy...

[LucidBeast]

but my wife beats me in poker pretty constantly. Then again she has PhD in genetics and I just own a programming company that I started when I dropped out of college. I've been supporting her studies so I guess I'm still smar... hey wait.. what was the question?

hooray for full tilt poker!

[jeff munkyfaces]

"I recently won thousands of pounds at full tilt poker! [fulltiltpoker.com]. It was so easy and now i'm really rich! I picked up poker as a hobby about 4 months ago, you can too!.
Perfect for geeks, you are sure to rake in the cash and the wonderful full tilt poker! [fulltiltpoker.com]
Any other programmers/computer people find that they can play poker better than the average person because of their computer experience?
I sure know i can, thanks to my wonderful employers at full tilt poker! [fulltiltpoker.com]"

Re:Absolutely

[Anonymous Coward]

"I have taken courses and read much about non-verbal communication, social/group dynamics..."

You don't even see the irony in what you wrote here, do you?

Better than average?

[bloo9298]

You'll probably find this article [apa.org] extremely helpful. It won an Ignobel award.

Re:Crazy Fad or New Social Activity

[Zebbers]

OMG you are so right. Its not like poker has been around forever and people have been playing with friends for decades upon decades or anything. It's purely a fad.

Re:thinking that because you're smart

[DNS-and-BIND]

Ph.D? Smart? How many Ph.D's do you know?

The ones at my mom's job send her email hoaxes, chain letters, and outlook worms all the time.

Re:Bill Gates is the answer.

[ezzzD55J]

I know B.G may not the most popular geek here, but according to several books about him, he was a great player at College.

So when it suits us, bill gates is a real geek.. right.

Re:Great book about geeks playing blackjack

[Anonymous Coward]

Brining Down the House is a neat read about how some MIT students (definition of geek, no?) took Vegas casinos and other for millions playing blackjack.

No, you're thinking of "Bringing Down The House". "Brining Down The House" was about carnies who set fire to a casino and firefighters who doused the flames with sea water, a rather unconventional yet successful approach.

Re:Not analytical thinking

[leathered]

Programming has little to do with analysis and a lot to do with gut feelings when you code

Tell me, what's it like working at Microsoft?

Re:Online vs. Offline

[Muhammar]

Any other programmers/computer people find that they can play poker better than the average person because of their computer experience?"

A geek can play above average in a poker game against computer because he can easily read the machine facial expression

You bastard!

[Anonymous Coward]

Now that you have plugged Full Tilt on slashdot, I can't log into it anymore, since it's likely under a barrage of hits. You've ruined my evening!

(as a side-effect, though, you may have just provided fresh blood for the tables. The sharks will have their day soon! Muhuhuhahahaha!)

Re:Definitely.

[aredubya74]

Yup, all that typing == strong wrists

I think your out of your mind.

[t0rkm3]

Online play isn't really poker. It's a trainer for hand strength. In that venue, analytical people can use their pattern matching skills to profit. I have to say that at my regular bi-weekly game the three worst players (of 12) are geeks. Their people reading sucks and their manipulation skills are poorly developed. They have a hard time sucking the more socially experienced players into a hand... However, that's a broad generalization. I am a network weenie and I am a strong third place at the table, but I get out a lot for a geek, and I had to work closely with sales droids while consulting. Maybe some of their sliminess rubbed off.

Re:Definitely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah but only in online play right?

Re:I do.

[Otter]

I'm below average. Way. I don't even know the rules.

You should come to Boston. None of the drivers know the rules either, so you'd at least revert to average.

Re:Crazy Fad or New Social Activity

[AEton]

The nanny industry, for one, is run entirely under Poppins's iron fist.

Re:Definitely.

[Anonymous Coward]

nice.

Re:Definitely.

[Anonymous Coward]

It had nowhere to go but up.

Re:It really depends...

[Illserve]

Here we take expert poker advice from someone who's self professed nickname is "Booze Monkey", what a world :)

Re:Hypocrite anyone?

[Dread_ed]

"I'm a physician...programmers...lawyers...Then also come the management professionals..."

Then come the salesmen (like myself) who measure intelligence on how well we indiscriminately outsmart and take the money of all those types...and more. It actually helps us when we find people who are puffed up with the ideas of their own intelligence. It makes it alot easier to do what we do.

We are like the undertakers of the economy. Go and do what you want, but you have to come see us sometime. MUHAHAHAHHA!!!