The Dirty Work of Poker: Impression Management and Identity

Vines, Marcus

doi:10.1080/01639625.2016.1169740

Cited by 14 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…There are both similarities and differences between Hayano's (1977Hayano's ( , 1982 description of the poker world and the descriptions of more recent authors (Bjerg 2010(Bjerg , 2011Bouju, Grall-Bronnec, Quistrebert-Davanne, Hardouin, & Venisse, 2013;Laakasuo, Palomäki, & Salmela, 2016;McCormack & Griffiths, 2012;Palomäki et al, 2013b;Radburn & Horsley, 2011;Recher & Griffiths, 2012;Vines & Linders, 2016;). Hayano's informants preferred Five-Card Draw California style, a game of significantly less open information and skill than the most common poker variants played today.…”

Section: Studies On Poker Learningmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…There are also possible play formats that are highly unusual in a casino or poker club, such as playing against only one opponent. The importance of professional players playing several tables simultaneously, getting less variance, and attacking several weak players at the same time has been discussed by McCormack and Griffiths ( 2012) and Vines and Linders (2016). In describing card rooms before online poker, Hayano (1982) stated that he usually played with the same players every day and that meeting new and potentially inexperienced players was almost considered hitting a goldmine.…”

Section: What Learning Artefact Was Described As the Most Rewarding?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning Poker in Different Communities of Practice: A Qualitative Analysis of Poker Players’ Learning Processes and the Norms in Different Learning Communities

Talberg¹

2019

JGI

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Several studies have focused on some of the skill elements needed to become a successful poker player, but few have described the poker players’ learning processes. No studies have used a learning theory to analyse poker players’ variety of learning methods or analysed whether the competitive and deceptive nature of the poker game have an impact on the players’ learning outcome. This article examines 15 poker players’ learning processes and how the players enter different learning communities of practice, arguing that different communities have different norms. In a friendly community of practice, the players were generous in helping each other and revealed secrets so that the group could grow together. In the competitive community of practice, the players were more cautious, and misleading information was common. Online poker, as well as new technology, has made several new artefacts (learning tools) available for poker players, and their main contribution is to reveal information that was previously unavailable. Because poker is a game of information, it greatly affects the players’ learning potential. RésuméPlusieurs études ont mis l’accent sur certaines compétences nécessaires pour devenir un joueur de poker performant, mais peu ont décrit les processus d’apprentissage suivis par les joueurs de poker. Aucune étude n’a utilisé de théorie de l’apprentissage pour analyser la diversité des méthodes d’apprentissage des joueurs de poker ni pour déterminer si la nature compétitive et illusoire du jeu de poker a une incidence sur les résultats d’apprentissage des joueurs. Cet article examine les processus d’apprentissage de 15 joueurs de poker et leur entrée dans différentes communautés de pratiques d’apprentissage. On y explique que différentes communautés possèdent différentes normes. Dans une communauté de pratique conviviale, les joueurs s’entraident et révèlent des secrets afin que le groupe puisse grandir ensemble. Dans une communauté de pratique compétitive, les joueurs sont sur leur garde, et les informations trompeuses sont monnaie courante. Le poker en ligne ainsi que les nouvelles technologies ont mis plusieurs nouveaux outils d’apprentissage à la disposition des joueurs de poker. Leur principale contribution est de révéler des informations qui, auparavant, n’étaient pas disponibles. Étant donné que le poker est un jeu d’information, le potentiel d’apprentissage des joueurs en est grandement affecté.

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Section: Studies On Poker Learningmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: What Learning Artefact Was Described As the Most Rewarding?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Poker in Different Communities of Practice: A Qualitative Analysis of Poker Players’ Learning Processes and the Norms in Different Learning Communities

Talberg¹

2019

JGI

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“…Amateur gamblers peruse opposite alibis for the same reasons: They account for gambling as inconsequential leisure because the gambling stigma of addiction and financial folly far outstrips the mild disapproval stirred by “frivolous fun” ( Smith & Preston, 1984 ). And like professional gamers, professional gamblers neutralize the stigma of gambling by accounting for it as routine, professional, and gainful labor ( Vines & Linders, 2016 ).…”

Section: Strategies Of Embarrassment Deflectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alibis for Adult Play

Deterding

2017

Games and Culture

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The social meanings of play sit at odds with norms of responsible and productive adult conduct. To be “caught” playing as an adult therefore risks embarrassment. Still, many designers want to create enjoyable, nonembarrassing play experiences for adults. To address this need, this article reads instances of spontaneous adult play through the lens of Erving Goffman’s theory of the interaction order to unpack conditions and strategies for nonembarrassing adult play. It identifies established frames, segregated audiences, scripts supporting smooth performance, managing audience awareness, role distancing, and, particularly, alibis for play: Adults routinely provide alternative, adult-appropriate motives to account for their play, such as child care, professional duties, creative expression, or health. Once legitimized, the norms and rules of play themselves then provide an alibi for behavior that would risk being embarrassing outside play.

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“…A survey of 179 online poker players (Hopley & Nicki, 2010), a qualitative study of 12 regular offline poker players (Vines & Linders, 2016), and a study of a high earning sub group of 31 online poker players (Hopley, Wagner, & Nicki, 2014) all found that the average player spent more than 30 hours a week on poker. Even though studies have shown that playing poker may be highly time-consuming and therefore affect the player's education (Biolcati et al, 2015;Bjerg, 2010;Griffiths et al, 2010;Hing et al, 2014), little is known about why poker is so time-consuming and how the poker players themselves describe their struggle to combine their studies with gambling.…”

Section: Poker Is Highly Time Consumingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This leads to fewer new players coming in to the poker sites and that again makes the games more evenly matched. The importance of playing against inferior players for the professional players is earlier discussed by McCormack & Griffiths (2011) as well as Vines & Linders (2016).…”

Section: What Makes Combining Poker With Education Difficult?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Can We Expect More Students Dropping out of Education to Play Poker or Has Online Poker Become too Challenging?

Talberg¹

2017

JGI

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Poker is a popular game, especially among male students. It is known to be highly time-consuming and might lead to players dropping out from education. Yet little is known about why it is so time-consuming. In this article, it is argued that developing and maintaining the requisite skill in poker is a continually ongoing process and the game is highly competitive. If a player is not capable of improving at the same or a higher rate as his or her opponents, that person will be bound to lose in the long run. Twelve young poker players and three ''old-timers'' were interviewed about changes in online poker and problems with combining poker and education. A thematic analysis was used, which concluded that prioritizing between poker and education can be understood in terms of a weight balance; if a student makes enough money from poker, then quitting school seems like a rational choice. If poker income decreases, then education becomes more important. Several of the informants have found themselves having to choose between poker and education. This study argues that poker has become more competitive and less popular in the last five years, making it harder to succeed as a professional player. Several of the informants described the poker population as more homogenous and with a higher level of skill than before. This, they claim, makes the game less profitable for the best players and that might reduce a student's inclination to drop out of education.Keywords: poker, dropout, education, excessive gambling, qualitative study RésuméLe poker est un jeu populaire, particulièrement auprès des étudiants masculins. On sait qu'on peut y consacrer beaucoup de temps et que ce jeu peut même mener à l'abandon des études. On s'explique pourtant mal les raisons pour lesquelles les joueurs y consacrent tant de temps. Dans cet article, on explique que ce jeu est très compétitif et que pour maintenir et développer ses compétences, il faut s'y adonner de manière assidue. Si un joueur ne parvient pas à s'améliorer au même rythme que celui de ses adversaires ou à un rythme plus rapide, il perdra à long terme.

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The Dirty Work of Poker: Impression Management and Identity

Cited by 14 publications

References 37 publications

Learning Poker in Different Communities of Practice: A Qualitative Analysis of Poker Players’ Learning Processes and the Norms in Different Learning Communities

Learning Poker in Different Communities of Practice: A Qualitative Analysis of Poker Players’ Learning Processes and the Norms in Different Learning Communities

Alibis for Adult Play

Can We Expect More Students Dropping out of Education to Play Poker or Has Online Poker Become too Challenging?

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