I've spent a lot of my life playing MMORPGs and first person shooter games. Now that I have started playing poker, I have found that there are a lot of similarities if you view it right.

When you start an MMORPG (M), you generally start at level 1 with no experience.

You can start poker (P) with no experience and a zero bankroll.

M: As you complete quests and kill monsters, you gain XP.

P: As you complete freerolls, you start building a bankroll.

M: When completing a series of quests, each quest has it's own objectives that you must complete to move on to the next quest.

P: You have Pre-Flop, Flop, Turn, River and at each street you have objectives and decisions to make.

M: When you gain enough XP, you can explore new areas, use new items and participate in new dungeons.

P: As soon as you build enough bankroll, you can move up in stakes.

M: Depending on the game, it could take a couple years to get enough experience (Ok, well most of them you can get there pretty quick, but in Clash of Clans (which isn't really an MMORPG but that is beside the point) it takes forever to max out... if you can

P: You aren't going to go from a $0 bankroll to $1000 or $10000 overnight. This too takes time and the more you play the more XP (Cash) you get.

Now those are some of the similarities I have observed. Thinking in these terms has made the game much more exciting for me.

The advantage I have in poker is my intelligence outranks my motor skills and hand/eye co-ordination.

In poker, motor skills and hand/eye co-ordination are meaningless. Unless of course you always accidentally show your cards live!

Thanks for the post. Thinking about it this way may actually help my bankroll management problems. We'll see though.

Originally Posted by JonathanAReth

Thanks for the post. Thinking about it this way may actually help my bankroll management problems. We'll see though.

Hopefully it does. I remember dumping money into iOS games for no benefit. At least with this game, I can control the amount of money I am spending and possibly win some. But it is more fun keeping that in mind.

He said it all. MMO game also perfect comparison

Being smart poker can be turn a lesson for life.

Many similarities and poker can pay you real money. You can drain tons of money with some of these games on the phone, so I do the games on the phone the same as I do with my poker; I never add money if it is coming out of my own wallet.

I can never kill the main boss

Definitely a new perspective to the game we all know and love so much. Interesting... Although I've never actually played the game I see where you're coming from haha.

I get what you are saying to a point. But this MMORPG does not require you to level up and work your way through the quests. You can pick whatever one you want regardless if you are ready.

And you don't just take the risk of leveling down, you can get completely leveled out.