Poker is a game that reminds me of my freshman year, when the boys in my dorm would sit around a table and play for hours. Walking by, I could feel the air of excitement and hubris, and each week different boys would wallow about the twenties that they lost or won, and the way their luck was going. For this critical play, I tried my hand at a few rounds of poker with my roommates, and found myself finally understanding the allure of the game. Its unique combination of both skill and chance curated an atmosphere of exhilaration (what will the cards be?!?!) and stubborn determination to outwit my opponents – a deadly combination which could reel any gambler in an addictive cycle.
Poker is a uniquely addictive game that leverages probability in two ways: players are able to bet on both the luck of the draw, as well as their own skill in predicting the game. As I played online poker, I felt this phenomenon as I became more and more invested even as I lost money. When I was given bad hands, I convinced myself that that meant my upcoming luck would change. Many of my friends complained about their unlucky streak or gloated about their luck (even though many of my probability classes have taught me that each draw is independent, and there is no such thing as a “lucky” or “unlucky streak”). I also held onto my own pride, believing that I could out-bluff and out-calculate my opponents, and that my skill was increasing more and more as I played. Then I lost all $10.
The randomness of the shuffle maintains an air of unpredictability that makes the game exhilarating. What hand will I get this round? Which card will be unflipped next? This is similar to slot machines, as both games use a chance to produce what the article calls a variable reward schedule. Because wins are given out sparsely, and in infrequent intervals, players are motivated to keep playing and keep losing because they hold out hope for receiving that next reward. In this case, losses can be viewed simply as “near misses” that actually motivate a player to keep playing more than an actual win. Slot machines facilitate this effect by showing the cards above and below the actual selected combination. When the player sees how close they were to winning, they keep gambling because they feel like the next win is right within reach.
Additionally, as I played this game analog, I realized that the physical action of shuffling and flipping the card builds anticipation in a way that online poker lacks. The article also describes this phenomenon– with the computerization of slot machines, there was no longer a need to show the physical spinning of the card reels. However, designers chose to generate animated effects of the cards spinning, and include a lever that the player can pull, to make the game all the more alluring.
The element of skill also draws people into Poker. The ability to calculate odds, bluff, read opponents, and make smart bets based on the probability of different outcomes makes Poker an intensely stimulating and addictive game. This is unlike slot machines, which relies more heavily on the component of chance, and allows Poker to target a smarter, more cocky audience that may regard themselves too highly for the common slot machine. Although skill may play a small role in the outcome of the game, it functions more sinisterly as a way to give players the illusion of control. Players are now better on not only the luck of the draw, but also at their own competency at the game, which can lead to addictive cycles where players believe that improving their performance will improve the outcome of the game.
Similarly, designers of slot machines have also intentionally included elements that give players an illusion of control. The article mentions features such as “stop” or “spin again” buttons that players may push, giving them the false feeling that they are altering the outcome despite the result of the spin being predetermined by the computer chip long before the spin.
Overall, Poker is able to keep its grip on gamblers through a combination of (1) the exhilaration from the unpredictability of luck and chance and (2) driving players with the belief that with more experience and more play time, they can improve their strategy and influence their win.
