Online Casinos: A Healthier Option for Gamers

Despite its exciting nature, playing poker is a sedentary activity whether gamers choose to play online or in bricks and mortar (B&M) casinos. The same is true for slot machines, blackjack, and many other games. However, because players are more likely to drink alcohol, breathe second-hand smoke, and/or eat fatty foods in B&M casinos, playing in an online casino is certainly a healthier option.

Dave Scharf, author of Winning at Poker: Essential Hints and Tips, told the Toronto Star that playing poker is slightly more detrimental to one's health than engaging in other sedentary activities (like watching TV) for the same time period. "The difference is that gaming … and poker have adrenalin involved…. You may have seen heart-rate monitors in poker on TV, and you'll see guys sitting there with a heart rate of 180. That's my max heart rate in a full sprint around the track," Scharf said.

The increased heart rate that gamers experience is a result of stress. Therefore, players tax their cardiovascular systems without getting the physical benefits of exercise. Two members of the Poker Hall of Fame, Tom Abdo and Jack Straus, even suffered fatal heart attacks while in the middle of high-stakes games.

If players exercised regularly and ate healthy, well-balanced diets, then this increased heart rate during games would not be nearly as dangerous. But as we all know, casino menus usually consist of burgers and fried foods, and the booze is always flowing. Players are much more likely to binge-drink or chain-smoke (or simply breathe second-hand smoke) in this environment. Add seven beers and a pack of cigarettes to the burger and fries you had for lunch, the ribs you had for dinner, and hours of sitting, and, if this behavior is repeated, you've got a recipe for heart disease.

However, if you play poker or gamble in online casinos, you can control your diet and exercise much more easily. By playing from the comfort of your home, you can eat healthy foods from your own fridge, and no one will look at you strangely if you get up to stretch or do a few push-ups during a game. And because playing online poker is faster and more efficient than playing in a B&M casino, you can use the time you save to exercise.

While some people may believe "being out and about" in a B&M casino leads to more activity than playing online poker, walking from your car to the casino doesn't exactly fulfill your daily cardio quota. Your cardiovascular and immune systems will be much better served if you use the travel time you've saved by playing from home to go for a thirty-minute walk, jog, or bike ride.

Lastly, if you haven't seen your doctor in a year or longer, schedule an appointment for a check-up. Talk about your blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, and family history to learn if you are at all at risk, as opposed to assuming that your doctor will tell or ask you everything important. Take an active role in your healthcare, because the decisions you make each day about food, drink, exercise, and ways to cope with stress are just as important as any medicine a doctor could prescribe. You will find that once your health improves, so will your concentration, judgment, and overall game.