Increased testosterone bad for poker
Study reveals raised levels of testosterone can negatively impact on critical decisions at the felt.
A study released by Nature.com, makes the claim that an elevated amount of testosterone can influence a player's decisions at the table, and not necessarily in a good way.
In short, too much of it raises a reputation driven anxiety which leads to predictability at the tables making a player too easy to read.
The aim of the experiment was to determine the effects that testosterone has on everyday life and used poker as the perfect outlet on which to focus their study.
Reputation anxiety
For the test itself, twenty female volunteers were issued with testosterone before competing in a heads-up poker game. At the table, the players were asked to place either a high or low bet which, if met, each player would reveal their hand before the winner took the pot.
The results concluded that those volunteers who had received a dose of testosterone bluffed less and far more systematically. Specifically, the subjects were less likely to bluff when holding a weak hand so became formulaic and predictable. The reason for the behaviour is, according to the report, the fragile male ego's concerns over social reputation.
The testosterone fueled players were also more prepared to call opponents’ bluffs which was influenced by players concerned at being fooled and the effect it has on their image.
While the news isn't ground-breaking, given that poker generally benefits the cool minded and where arrogance and ego driven overconfidence often leads to players making bad calls, it is perhaps surprising that the injection of the male hormone might have been expected to find that people were more likely to be aggressive and brash, but instead reflected a far more insecure and status driven motive behind their play.
Do you let emotions get the better of you in a game?
