UK Survey Throws Up Some Interesting Poker Player Views

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Dec 22, 2017

Grosvenor Casinos survey spanned over 2,000 respondents

UK players in the 18 to 24 age group believe they are the best at playing poker – that’s just one of the findings coming out of a survey of more than 2,000 players conducted by Grosvenor Casinos.

The organisers believe the study is the biggest of its type in the last decade, covering gaming habits, and perceived playing ability to the nation’s favourite professional poker player.

The survey found that younger players, on average, believe they are more adept at poker than older players, with 57 percent of respondents under 35 ranking themselves as ‘above average’ or better. Conversely, two thirds (67 percent) of players over 54 years old say that their poker skills are ‘average’ or worse.

Younger poker players frequently play multiple online poker games at any one time, with 44 percent of under 35s keeping their eye on three or more tables at once. This contrasts to those aged 45 and over; 81 percent of whom usually prefer to play on two tables or fewer at a time.

Despite appearing more confident, younger players did admit to investing more time into learning how they can improve their game.

More than half of younger players (54 percent) play poker to learn how the game works and improve their skills. In contrast, those who are 55 and over are less motivated by money or learning how to play, and more motivated by playing for fun (51 percent).

Grosvenor Casinos’ survey found that when younger players aren’t actively playing poker, they are still more eager to improve their technique. Over half of young players (64 percent) frequently read poker content online and watch poker strategy videos in their spare time.

Younger players cited Will Kassouf, who was recently sponsored by Grosvenor at the GUKPT Manchester, as their favourite professional poker player: a man notorious for using trash talk to rile his opponents while playing. His controversial tactics earned him the title of “king of speech play” during the World Series of Poker in 2016.

Survey results also show there are key differences between male and female poker players.

Male poker players appear to be more confident about their playing ability, with more than half of men (52 percent) rating themselves as ‘above average’ or better; as opposed to 31 percent of female players who modestly class themselves at the same level.

Similarly, female poker players cited different professional influences to their male counterparts. Nearly a third of female poker players surveyed (31 percent) voted for Victoria Coren-Mitchell as their poker hero, while only 15 percent of male players cited Coren-Mitchell as their favourite professional player.

Grosvenor’s head of poker, Russell Tamplin, said, “It’s great to hear that younger players are enthusiastic and really enjoying playing poker both in casinos and online, although mature poker players perhaps give a more honest assessment of their own abilities!

“What strikes me is why more women aren’t playing as much poker, especially online where skills can be honed for a fraction of the cost. Over the coming years I expect a lot more women to start enjoying poker, both online and live.”

https://content.grosvenorcasinos.com/poker/survey/

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