If you were to neatly split the population into two personality types, you’d land on introverted vs extroverted. It comes up all the time in comparisons. No one is shy anymore, they’re introverted. No one is loud, they’re extroverted.
So, since it covers every other matter in the world, we started wondering how your personality affects how you play poker, if at all? Is there an advantage to being the loud guy in a quiet game? Or is there more to gain from keeping your head down?
Read on to find out who we think would advance well in poker: extroverts or introverts.
Who are the extroverts?
Well, do you even have to ask. The WSOP’s most famous player is definitely an extrovert. What else could you call a man who swans into the tournament every year in a costume and puts on skits as his entry like he’s a WWE wrestler?
I am speaking, of course, of Phil Hellmuth. He is the epitome of an extrovert. Other examples include his table-side rants to let everyone around him know just how much he hates to lose, and his “say it how it is” attitude to social media and WSOP interviews.
And then there is Daniel Negreanu. You can’t say he’s as in-your-face as the likes of The Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth, but it takes a certain level of extroverted nature to become a vlogger in any capacity. You can see his progress on every tournament from start to finish on the GGPoker UK website, from his bracelet wins to heating beans in his RV outside the casino.
Who are the introverts?
Unfortunately, introverts in their most basic definition, are a lot harder to spot. However, there are a lot of perks to being an introvert when it comes to poker. You’re already working with a lifetime of hiding your feelings from the outside world, so bring that to your poker face, for example.
What that means is that introverts amongst poker players are definitely people you’ve seen before but have then disappeared into the ether. They once had their photo taken, they begrudgingly spoke to the interviewers, and then were never heard from again.
And if they were spoken of again, it was to the answer of “Oh yeah! That guy! I remember him.”
Is there an advantage?
So, between one or the other, do introverts or extroverts do better at poker?
This isn’t going to please anyone, because whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, you can’t change your nature to fit poker. Most of the time you have to be good at poker in spite of your nature.
And to just rub salt in the wound, even though there are pros and cons to each side, there is a clear winner too.
Introverts are better at keeping everything close to their chest, which is a big part of poker. With that handled, their inner feelings and reactions well-controlled, they can focus on their next strategic move and keeping track of the cards.
However, this might make them a little more fearful than extroverts of taking chances. Extroverts are more likely to play aggressively and take chances.
But then the question must be asked: who does poker attract? Poker typically brings in a range of personality types. An analytical mind, a strategic thinker, a reader of faces and body language, and a lover of Lady Luck.
All of these are personality traits that can be present in extroverts and introverts. They don’t really tend to lend themselves to one or the other, which is why there is a good mix of the two showing up at poker tables and tournaments.
As for who’s winning most? We let the results speak for themselves.
