Nationality 'influences poker style'
14th January, 2008
The nationality of your poker opponents can have a significant impact on their playing style, one international online poker website had claimed.
Everest Poker specialises in catering for non-English speaking enthusiasts of the game and has conducted research into disparities between the playing styles of nationals from numerous countries around the world.
Among its key findings was the discovery that Spanish players are often underestimated for their analytical and mathematical skills - many of which have been built up through the country's traditional fondness for chess.
Italian players have a tendency to be "quite impulsive and unpredictable" - displaying a proclivity for bluffing given their mastery of Italian five-card draw - while Swedes are among the most aggressive of risk takers having enjoyed a head-start in the online poker boom.
Brits, on the other hand, are sadly all too predictable: "Like the national stereotype, players from the UK are reserved and cautious, especially early on, and take their time to get into a game," explained Ed Pownall of Everest Poker.
He added: "While this can be a good tactic, if there are particularly aggressive players the lack of risk-taking can cost the Brits in tournament play."
