Recent research at a Canadian University indicates that poker is good for releasing stress. This result has come as a surprise to many who view poker as a high stress and high risk game.

The cortisol levels of online poker players was monitored as they played online poker and it was found that their cortisol, otherwise known as “the stress hormone”, levels dropped significantly as they played. The levels continued to drop, by up to 17%, as the players progressed and became increasingly engaged in the game.

The reasoning behind this, Canadian scientists believe, is that the intense focus given during the poker game allows the players to forget or move their focus away from their daily responsibilities and worries. The intense focus is required because poker is such a complex game and players naturally get drawn in when playing. By taking a break from constantly thinking and worrying about daily responsibilities, the brain starts releasing less and less cortisol.

Prior to this research, it was also found by scientists that online gambling also improves the cognitive functioning of the brain. This applies to poker especially because of the never ending variables in the game- players are constantly thinking and learning and adapting and this provides excellent exercise for the brain.

So by playing poker, players are reducing stress as well as exercising the brain. These findings might have an influence in the US where whether to legalize online poker is an ongoing debate.

Now only if we could convince these Gov Bumz that it's a stress relieving sport life would be grand

My broken monitors, mice, and keyboards disagree.

Thats funny lol

When winning im sure you feel good and the stress goes away

So true LMFAO

Creates addiction for most imo

Did the study notice a disparity in stress levels between winning and losing sessions? I mean, if you are monitoring online professionals pwning donks at low/mid stakes, of course they're going to feel good. However, if you hooked up a bad player, or just a player getting sucked out on, I have reservations that stress cortisol levels would be going down.

They need to do a stress level check of players having to deal with FTP customer service.

Can you cite the actual study?

Of the 10,000 affiliate sites out there that have crappy articles up about this, none of them points to the study. I wonder why that is?

Okay. This is one of two things:

1) A fictional study invented by affiliates who want to help problem gamblers justify losing more money. Or,

2) A study (or a mashup of many studies) taken way out of context.

If 1, then wow -- disgusting.

If 2, then wow -- irresponsible. I found research out of McGill claiming that gambling functions as a maladaptive coping mechanism for anxious, stressed, or depressed people. This works towards explaining gambling addiction and pathological gambling. What it does not do is suggest that online gaming is 'healthy' for you. It may 'reduce stress' in the extreme short term, yes; but that does not mean it is beneficial long-term or healthy for you.

And the only cortisol/gaming link I could find out of McGill was this write-up of a study. The experimenters designed a happy-face clicking game and measured cortisol levels of participants while playing.

Maybe somebody can google better than I can and find this study. I would love to be wrong on this one.

i agree that poker is good for your health only because when i get donked, it forces me to workout in order to relieve my anger

IMO, past year I've been going through some tough **** etc, didn't really want to live at some points - but poker always got me through it. Helped me take my mind off things and the money wasn't much of an issue if I lost it.

I think it's only stressful when you think about the money aspect.

I would be curious about this one )
But for real now, you can't thinks this is trues.
When i lose, i for one am very frustrated.
I am an amateur but a pro player is still a human beeing and i am sure he will be frustrated about a lose.
The difference betwen a pro and a amateur is that the pro knows that there will be better days, as for the amateur ...
"My broken monitors, mice, and keyboards disagree."
I've googled for some famous poker player and found a few here and here and I'm trying to imagine Phil Ivey smashing up a 42" TV but i find it higly unlikely.
The pot's should be huge in order for something like this to happen.

Look up matasow. He has been known to throw laptops into pools.

I'm also guessing if someone like Ivey smashed a monitor/tv it wouldn't make the news unless he told a reporter or chose to make it public. Stuff like that (usually) remains private. Not saying Ivey did or did not but different people (even pro's) deal with bad beats in their own ways, especially when you are home alone and it is easier to vent without caring what others think.

I find when I get home from work and get deeper and deeper into thought anxiety slowly goes away. The weed helps too but I get lost in the game. When I spew is when I wake up and lose that focus some how....Which happens a lot but less and less as time goes on

This is so stupid tbh. Yeah go play poker when you're stressed, then tell me how your bankroll is doing 2 hours later.

This is bull****. Link please?

I feel the exact opposite. Whenever i play and the pots starts building my heart starts rushing - no mather how many years i´ve played and gotten used to the swings and psychology. The only time the adrenaline rush is not as significant is when i play huge volumes like 5k hands per day for 10 days.

My body produces a lot more adrenaline when im playing, thats for sure. If im not mistaken im pretty sure that having high adrenaline levels often/daily leads to higher cortisol levels in the long run.

lmao Is this true? I would like a link to the research sounds interesting. Also is this true with other forms of video games? This should also be true with sports.

You just gotta chill money lost and money won wats the difference my son? lol

I agree with this, and have said it for years, poker is the only time I can focus my attention on just one activity and forget about everything else. Maybe I would feel differently if I played to pay the bills.

you gotta point there man

this sounds kinda bs and anyways it will be different for everyone.. when ever i go on one of my live binges and make a cpl hundred every day for a few weeks playing 200nl live i seem too lose appetite, need for sleep and desire to do anything else then make money playing poker and it feels terribly unhealthy, but the money justifies it for me

Research fails to include how much stress it can give also.

A one sided theory obviously written/researched by a US. And still doesn't change the fact that many are still losing their homes/family & lives due to poker & gambling addictions.

lol