ShareIt is nothing new, and some games even bring in more viewers than national or international sports games, live poker now brings in millions of viewers, and the game’s tension can make or break a player. The pressure is much higher, and the games are much more tightly regulated. When it comes to poker, one of the main elements of entertainment is observing the players themselves.
Why is it that we enjoy watching others play – sometimes more than playing ourselves? According to the National Library of Medicine, it is because it gives us the emotional rewards of participation without the cognitive effort, stress, or risk that come with actually performing. Spectating can let us feel involved, somewhat intelligent, and emotionally engaged, yet safely detached. It’s seen as a sweet spot between stimulation and relaxation, which is why games, sports, and even poker streams can be so addictive to watch.
Why we watch people play instead of going on to do it ourselves can also be explained by “the thrill of observation vs. the burden of action” theory. When you watch poker (or any uncertain game with a competitive factor), you get many of the same emotional incentives as playing, like eagerness, probability, and ambiguity but you avoid much of the stress, and cognitive weight of making decisions. Specifically, in the context of poker, watching high-stakes games or streamers playing poker, it can create a sense of community (chat, comments, and overall reactions). You get to be part of the action socially, without bearing full responsibility.
The journey of poker livestreaming has its roots in the early broadcasts of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in the late 1970s and 1980s. The innovation of hole-card cameras under glass-topped tables changed everything. The British TV show Late Night Poker in 1999 was among the first to use under-the-table cameras, allowing audiences to see players’ hidden cards. The World Series of Poker and High Stakes Poker started using hole-card cameras in the table’s rail in the early 2000s. These shows brought poker into millions of homes, igniting the “Poker Boom” after amateur player Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event in 2003.
Today, Twitch and YouTube are the epicenters of poker livestreaming. Streamers like Lex Veldhuis have amassed over 300,000 followers on Twitch. During the 2020 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), Lex’s stream peaked at over 58,500 concurrent viewers, setting a record for poker streams on the platform. Similarly, Doug Polk’s YouTube channel has garnered over 350,000 subscribers, making him one of the most influential figures in poker media.
By now, the broadcasting has brought about fundamental change to the games, the players and we can see now that there are dozens of compilations of players’ crazy moments compiled on YouTube that go on to highlight the tension of the game, the element of humor and pure entertainment value.
Bearing in mind that poker operates on what behavioral psychologists call a variable ratio reinforcement schedule – a reward system in which outcomes (wins) occur unpredictably after an unknown number of actions (hands played or bets made). This schedule is one of the most powerful mechanisms for maintaining engagement in both gambling and game-based behaviors.
Poker’s variable reward structure links ambiguity, sporadic reinforcement, and perceived skill, producing a powerful cycle of keenness and action. This makes the game more enjoyable to both watch and play – perhaps even more so to watch as an observer. It also explains why playing carries psychological and financial risks. The same mechanisms that sustain excitement can foster compulsion.
Taking into account that poker as a game has intricacies and risks that need to be calculated and worked on, many experts often recommend that players take time to evaluate and assess their attempts to play. This should not dishearten you as much but serve as a healthy warning. You can always check out safe websites providing informative set up that can guide you throughout the whole process. This can allow you to experience the thrill of the game without cognitive burden.
To wrap it up, we love to watch people play and if ever we come across a struggle to see if we would be able to perform in the same way as the professionals, we can try things out and see for ourselves. “the thrill of observation vs. the burden of action” theory can help us find out where exactly we can draw the line for our personal entertainment and help us adjust.
