Maybe it's down to growing up watching Wild West movies with men chewing tobacco and smoking cigars and generally being very manly whilst playing poker before a brawl breaks out and shoot-out occurs, maybe because it's about getting one-up on your friend or opponents, or perhaps it's the pile of cash and taking your chances that get men really attracted to playing the game. Probably it's a mixture of all of the above and perhaps other reasons unnamed here that it makes men fancy their chances at playing poker. In any case, on any pro circuit you'll see a disproportionate number of men around the table than women.

So what is it exactly that gets guys into it more?

Well,  we are  sure there are some psychological reasons why certain games attract some types more than others, but as I'm not a psychologist I doubt I could really begin to scratch the surface. Maybe the ruthless streak that you find more-so in males plays a part at giving them an edge over their female counterparts? That being said, women do tend to be more observant in reading people so looking for telling signs may give them the inside track on that side of things. However, one thing's certain women don't look quite so cool in baseball caps and shades whilst smoking cigars. When playing online, games are trying to emulate more natural experiences in favour of more synthetic ones. It doesn't take long for you to search and find gambling rooms where you get to pick your avatar (character), which you can have appear as realistic or as much as your alter ego as you like. But given the choice, my money's on playing wherever the pot's big and the competition's easy - yes I'm a dreamer, but my point is, as long as you get to play cards in an all singing and dancing site or on a far more basic site, it really doesn't make much difference when all you should be focusing on is the cards in your hand, and the possible hands of your opponents! So do guys draw themselves towards the game because it's a bit of a gang thing and certain players are regarded as the best and one day they'd like to be just like their hero, or better yet, play and beat them? Perhaps! There are lots of competitions that allow you to play for fun or for keeps and should you find yourself develop a knack for it, you could find yourself turning pro and indeed playing it for real in a casino or on television. There's a method behind the game and you can get skilled at reading others, working out percentages both against and in your favour, knowing when to raise the stakes, when to fold and when to ride your luck and bluff your way to victory.