Paddy Power Poker released preliminary results from its forthcoming report, which includes a survey of hundreds of poker players across Ireland and the UK as well as information taken from the bookmaker\’s database.
The full report will be published in January 2006, but Paddy Power revealed that:
• Over 50% of all poker players have played the game naked or in their underwear.
• More than 10% have injured themselves playing poker.
• Around 33% would forfeit their partner for $1 million.
• About 60% would rather play poker than have sex.
• Almost 40% have lied in order to play poker.
• Approximately 35% believe Gerry Adams would make the best poker player amongst British and Irish politicians.
• More than 70% have confessed to wanting to throw their computer out the window after suffering a bad beat.
• UK players are better than Irish players.
• The best players in Ireland are in Dublin, the worst in Cork.
• The Welsh are the best players in the UK, Londoners the worst.
Elsewhere, the Chicago Tribune reported that record numbers of people played online Texas Hold\’em poker on the same day New York City\’s transit system was shut down by a strike.
Marty Wallace, COO for DoylesRoom.com, told the Tribune that the site usually has 3,000 to 3,500 people playing during business hours, but Tuesday, the count jumped as high as 6,500 players.
“At first we didn\’t know what was going on with the flood of players we were getting from New York City,” he said.
BetOnSports.com\’s poker room experienced a similar windfall: “30-35 per cent increase in both free-play and real-money games, and it was a clear connection to the New York transit strike,” said spokesman Kevin Smith.
Calculators
