Prevalence of Energy Drinks and the World Series of Poker
With a major poker tournament like the World Series of Poker, competitors in the said tournament must have endurance and the power to stay alert and focused to get to the final table. They would also need all their concentration to not only focus on the hands they hold but to also study their opponents to get a good read on them. Due to stress, players sometimes lose their concentration and not play their optimum best.
There was a noticeable trend among poker players at the WSOP tournament to beat this, and that was to guzzle down lots of energy drinks at the table. The question now is, is the energy drink doing more harm than good?
Advantages of Energy Drinks at the World Series of Poker
WSOP asks a lot from poker players. Those who are aiming for the final table have to sit at their tables for almost 12 hours, and this routine gets repeated every day for five to six days. It is no wonder then that it can drain their energy, but with energy drinks, it gives them the pep they need, giving their brains and endurance a boost. It cannot be denied that there are some poker players who resort to drugs and stimulants to stay awake and keep their concentration, but with an energy drink on hand, this tendency to do drugs is reduced. Furthermore, energy drinks are not as harmful as compared to illicit substances.
One thing about energy drinks is that it brought out a perceptible «macho-ness» at the table. It was observed that those players who wolf down tons of energy drinks during the WSOP tournament played more aggressively, so it was not surprising then to see them jump at the pot faster than you could say lickity-split, all thanks to impatience, aggressiveness, adrenaline rise, and energy drink. But again, increased aggressiveness at the poker table is only advantageous if the situation calls for it. If not, impatience and aggressiveness could cause the player's defeat.
Disadvantages of Energy Drinks at the World Series of Poker
Let us not lie here and say that drinking energy drink all throughout the WSOP tournament was all good. Instead, let us look at some of the disadvantages observed during the tournament.
One, players were still too keyed up long after the tournament ended, and some of them even spent their restless energy on more games, spending their bankroll like there was no tomorrow until none was left. Good for the economy, yes, but bad for the pockets.
Two, partially living on energy drinks during the whole WSOP tournament is not good for the player. This could give them erratic sleeping patterns as well as increase their heartbeat and blood pressure. It could also lead to dehydration if that was all the player drank during the entire tournament.
Tagsenergy drink, poker players, World Series of Poker Tournament, WSOP, WSOP tournamentSee also
