Sleepy Brains Make Overly Optimistic Poker Decisions

It's a well known fact that lack of sleep has a negative impact on decision-making. A recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience takes a deeper look at that risky 5am all-in.

Grinding until the early hours is the staple diet of many a poker player but maybe we should think twice before playing 'just a few more hands'.

The Journal of Neuroscience has conducted an in-depth study to pinpoint exactly why poker in an exhausted state might not be your most +EV line.
 
What they found is that decline in memory and focus are not the only factors involved in making that dodgy call when you're half-asleep.
 
The study took a look at money-based decision making on sleep-deprived subjects and found that their focus on maximisation of winnings had increased. Their focus on the importance of defending against losses had declined significantly.

Feeling sleepy? Hit the fold button

29 healthy adults with an average age of 22 were given MRI scans whilst completing gambling tasks. First at 8am after a good night's sleep and then at 6am after sleep-deprivation.

The brain scans showed increased activity in the region of the brain responsible for reward-related optimism and a decrease in the area that controls the judgment of negative outcomes.

The author of the study writes:
"Sleep deprivation appears to create an optimism bias; for example, participants behave as if positive consequences are more likely (or more valuable) and as if negative consequences are less likely (or less harmful)".

So next time you hear the early morning birds begin to sing and that amazing spot to 5-bet shove with a gutshot presents itself, hit the fold button, shutdown your computer and get some well needed shut-eye. You're more likely to crush after a good night's sleep.