Put the Mocha Back In Poker: The Ultimate Substance for the Pro Player

It was recently revealed that some 80% of all the poker players in the world have made use of narcotics and other prohibited substances to enhance their gaming during contests. These are but some of the banned substances that players have been caught using: cocaine, Valium, amphetamines, marijuana and more. Naturally the use of energy drinks has been included in the score, with guarana being the primary substance.

When was this all made public?

During the latest World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada multiple poker players from the USA and Canada were surveyed. And all of them used some or other variant of these products for one reason only: to focus on the gaming. These substances work by allowing players to concentrate for longer periods of time and also provide them with the endurance to outlast their opponents. In the same study, stats revealed that some 73% of the players (males in their 20s) were regular users and abusers of these substances for focus and concentration. The remaining players used narcotics to improve retention, stay calm and stay awake.

Poker players are not alone in this

The list of professional people using such ‘enhancement drugs’ is extensive and includes pilots and even musicians. To date, this is the only survey that details what poker players take during games. They were provided with a list containing multiple questions to assess the use of these performance enhancing products. The survey was inconclusive with regards to caffeine. For example workers in the industrial sector and other heavy labor jobs made regular use of coffee to stay alert on the job. There are loads of benefits to using coffee – including those antioxidants. But it’s the caffeine that’s the no-no in coffee. This substance is a stimulant and can have horrid side effects such as the shakes, nervousness and anxiety. Even so, it’s regularly seen at the poker tables. So perhaps it makes a whole lot more sense now that poker players are regular coffee drinkers and probably always will be.