If National Caricatures were Poker Habits

Just a thought to idle away ten minutes or so ladies and gentlemen: if playing habits in the game of poker had to be likened to caricatures associated with countries around the world (light-hearted and well-meaning caricatures, we hasten to add!), which country would represent which poker habit? Also, are there any real life instances of these stereotypes at play?

The flush with cash – Our southern neighbours the USA would undoubtedly play the part of the brash and cocksure high-roller at the poker table, probably with a pretty good hand to back it up, but perhaps also with a tendency to raise the stakes when it’s not entirely necessary to do so… ‘The American Dream’ revolves pretty closely around personal wealth, so watch out for tears rolling secretly down faces after a big loss…

The plucky loser – Good old Great Britain would surely have to embody the plucky underdog at the poker table, holding a mediocre hand (albeit including the odd Prince and Queen) but quietly bluffing away with the best of them. Unlike the steely secret agent James Bond, most ordinary Brits are bizarrely apologetic in the oddest of situations. If you see a British poker player quietly, unwittingly mouthing the word ‘sorry’ at the poker table, they’re probably about to put down a royal flush and take your cash. Don’t raise the stakes any higher under any circumstances in this situation!

The master bluffer – In the sphere of international relations, no country could have quite the same reputation for bluffing as the Eastern Bear that is Russia. Remember Cuba? Until the fall of communism in the dying days of the 20th Century, many Russians lived in fear of the secret police, covertly spreading their own ideas and practicing their religion of orthodox Christianity, which was banned by the country’s communist leaders who followed the Marxist ideology that ‘religion is the opium of the people’. Bred in a tradition of secrecy, you can bet your bottom dollar that Russian poker players make extraordinary bluffers.

The quietly brilliant – The green felt of the poker table is one of the few gaming arenas in the world in which the quietly brilliant can truly shine. We like to think that we Canadians fit the description rather nicely. We may not have as much to lay on the line as some of the brasher players at the table, but we’ll wait our turn, quietly build our hand and keep a level head. Canadian poker players are the kind you might find cramming on PokerStrategy.com ahead of a game, rather than hovering around the bar or playing roulette.

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