There are a number of different reasons to play poker but not as many as there are poker players. What motivates a player at a specific time may vary, the game of poker is pleasantly rich. Poker functions just as well for socializing with your friends (old or new) as a basis for some cut-throat high-stakes competition.
The main reasons to play can be put into the categories: entertainment, socializing, competition, and money.
After having conquered the first difficulties with the game - such thresholds as basic rules and beginners strategy - most people find poker very entertaining. The interest in other hobbies can dwindle as the curiosity for the new found passion grows. For most the novelty does not ware off. It holds the attention. To be able to constantly improve within a given framework and to always having a new possibility of catching the right cards, is entertaining.
When playing poker in the off-line world the socializing aspects of the game are pretty obvious. In the online world there are apart from chats, also the possibility to play together, or perhaps most importantly the opportunity to compare results and share experiences with each other afterwards.
The competitiveness of the game might be the most important reason for many when deciding to play poker. There are a lot of factors that influence the result: your cards, your position, the number of opponents, the cost, the size of the pot, how the other people play, how the others perceive that you play... To be more successful than others during these conditions says something about your quality as a poker player (and perhaps about you yourself). If you lose, you want to improve. If you win, you feel good, and want to improve.
Last but not least, it is about money. Being a good poker player can be lucrative. Before we get carried away, lets state that only the top 15% of players online are able to constantly win money online. Of the remaining players, all are not losers. Some break even while others lose manageable amounts. What is most important in the beginning of a poker carrier is to be a realist. If one is aware of the dangers and only plays when the circumstances are right then the money aspect of the game only adds to the fun.
If you are new to the game, continuing to read this poker school will help you to understand when the circumstances are right. If you are new to the game, then you also have perfect timing, because this is an exciting time to begin playing poker. It is easier to begin playing when you are not the only newbie, and you are not with todays poker boom. With poker being available online it is also much easier to find the right circumstances.
Added 2005-07-18 09:41:23
Additional Poker School Articles
This is part of a series of articles designed to teach the beginner how to play poker, either "for real" or on the internet. Feel free to keep reading!
Betting Rules