Watching Arsenal is not all that different from playing poker, with a similar level of excitement and apprehension of the unexpected. Anybody that’s ever played a few hands on the best casinos not blocked by gamstop and also seen Harry Kane tear apart Arsenal’s defence on many occasions will understand the similarities between the two.
During a poker game, you’re keeping an eye on your opponents; trying to figure out what they’re going to do next and how they’ll react to your decisions. If you’re wanting to improve your poker game then you might want to refine your skills online, you can that can offer various internet casino games including poker. Like poker, football is very much the same, with visitors to the Emirates needing to understand the tactics employed by the Gunners.
Also, when all is said and done, a game can turn on a moment of sheer luck just as much as it can good judgement. Whilst football and poker are both games of skill, they can both be affected by lady luck. In the case of poker and other casino games, at least you have the potential to get offered a match bonus, as this article explains, which essentially means you can place bets without using your own money – this should be an exciting prospect to anyone who enjoys casino games.
There is also a certain skill set needed for both games; different attributes lead to different types of player and tactics. It’s why some footballers move into poker after they finish playing, which is something a When Saturday Comes article explains former Arsenal man Glenn Helder did.
So, let’s take a look at what attributes current Arsenal players have and how they might be successful in poker.
David Luiz
Luiz joined the Gunners in the summer for a fee reported to be around £8m. For a Brazilian international that seems a good deal, but with Luiz there’s always an air of the unpredictable.
He’s flamboyant but has a mistake or two in him. You never quite know with the wild-haired defender what he’s going to do, and unpredictability is a key strength for a poker play.
The game is all about reading the opponent and knowing their tells. With a player such as Luiz, who often doesn’t know what he’s going to do next himself, reading his moves would be very hard indeed.
Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli is a name unfamiliar to many football fans, but he’s young and up and coming. His performance against Nottingham Forest earlier in the season highlighted his huge potential, but yet his ability is not clear for all to see.
That means he’s flying under the radar a little and again, he’d be hard to read in poker. He’s the young upstart at the table, all swagger and confidence but with no previous experience for people to judge him on.
The unknown quantity element would be a strong attribute to have in a high stakes game.
Dani Ceballos
23-year-old Ceballos is on loan from Real Madrid and has already made quite an impression at the club as a dedicated figure on the training field.
Football, like poker, is something players can work at and improve on. Those who are new to the game of poker can hone their skills before playing at competitive tables. New players can now find inspiration from a vast well of sources with partypoker providing advice on the rules and tactics of Texas Hold’em that aim to get new players up to speed as quick as possible.
Similarly, a footballer can take to the training field every day to hone their skills and develop new ones as well, which is where a focused individual like Ceballos would thrive.
Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil is a tactician and a craftsman, a player who has made just as many goals as he’s scored during his time in the red of Arsenal.
He’s a thinking man’s footballer, someone who can act instinctively and who was once described as a low-key genius by the Telegraph. Foresight and quick thinking are two very important attributes for a poker player. That is why why many of them research poker websites and apps before placing bets on them (click here for more info.)
You need to be reactive to sudden changes in the game, but also be able to think one step ahead of your opponent. The German schemer has shown those exact skills over the course of his Gunners’ career.