Despite its success online poker is still in a nascent stage of development. Certain poker rooms on the internet have been around for a couple of decades now. But that pales in comparison to the centuries that the land-based version of the game has had to develop and improve. Experts are still unsure how exactly online poker interacts with the human brain. Even then some neuroscientists are fascinated with the study of poker and bluffing. So much so that they’ve even tested the strategy against a computer. There have been a lot of studies into the effects that bluffing and poker in general have on the brain.
The neuroscience of bluffing can be an interest topic of study. Most amateur poker players may not be interested in delving too deep into the game and how it works. However, those who are seeking a career in gambling may find that research on the topic can greatly help them to improve their game in the future. Below we will examine the neuroscientific research into bluffing and poker, and see how the casino game tests the brain in positive or negative ways.
The Difference Between Bluffing People and Computers
Digital poker has broken down the barriers between what it means to play against people and computers. The feeling of playing face-to-face at a poker table is not always a one for one with the feeling of playing against a faceless and anonymous person online. Playing against a person you can’t see is indeed much closer to a single-player game against a computer. But what does that have to do with bluffing?
As it so happens, neuroscientists from the prestigious Duke University have carried out some pretty thorough tests regarding bluffing and poker. They’ve scanned player patterns using MRIs and have compared and contrast those of players that bluff against other players and those of players that bluff against the computer. There is quite a bit of a difference as it turns out. Players used a completely different region of their brain when bluffing against players, than they did playing against a computer.
Unfortunately, the study leaves out one of the most important questions. That is which bluff was more successful. Regardless, it does show that bluffing is a key component of poker and that it does affect the brain differently depending on the player’s environment. Many wonder how the brain might react to the barrier between face-to-face playing and online gambling breaking down more and more. The studies on the topic have yet to surface. Many are eagerly waiting for more discussion on the effects that cash poker online might have on the brain, and how it would be different from land-based competitions.
Recognizing the Bluffing Brain
There is no one kind of poker player. Even professional tournaments may see a wide variety of different approaches to the game. There are those who view bluffing as a last resort. They think of it as a risk-it-all kind of strategy that relies too much on the gullibility of other players. For other poker players bluffing is the first choice. They may be newcomers to the game, who’ve excelled in home-games and have decided to test their luck against the pros. Alternatively, they could be pros themselves whose analytical skills are so great that they can even bluff other experts.
Neuroscientists are fascinated by the effects that bluffing has on the brain. Many have wondered if a player who bluffs might have a different brain pattern than the one that prefers a more straightforward style. A scientist from Baylor University may have found the answer a decade or so ago. She scanned volunteer brains who agreed to play a simple bargaining game. The results suggested that the brain patters of bluffers were different than those who preferred a more straightforward approach. The volunteers who tended towards bluffing were far more strategic in their approach to the game, and thus more effective. But does that mean that bluffing is always the right way to go?
The Issue with Bluffing
The issue with bluffing is one that most people will intuitively understand. Years of poker-focused media has revealed one truth; every bluffer has a tell. Experienced poker players are well-aware of this. That is why they spend years or even decades honing their bluffing skills and doing whatever they can to minimize or even eliminate their “tells.” But an analytical player with a keen attention to detail can spot even the most minute change in behavior. Amateur players who visit online casinos for fun will likely not come across many of these hyper-vigilant players. But pros and experts are well aware that their opponents are capable of catching even the smallest shift in the chair.
There are two things that a bluff-oriented player might do at that point. They might switch up their strategy and focus on a straightforward play. They will spend days honing their poker skills just as a programmer might dedicate weeks of their life to a coding boot camp or something of the sort. The other approach they can take is improving their bluffing. There are some players who bluff about bluffing if you would believe it. They might practice “fake tells.” By pretending to be bluffing and making miniscule changes in their behavior, they can convince the players around them that their tell is something other than what it really is. The strategy has proven semi-effective in professional tournaments. However, most experts prefer a straightforward approach.
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