The online poker division of Irish bookie group Paddy Power started the holiday season off with a little fun this week with a preview of the Paddy Power Poker survey, due for release early in the New Year.
The Emerald Isle-flavoured Paddy Power Poker study discovered that many poker players play nude, tell white lies, want to destroy their computers and would swap their partners for a $1 million win!
“Poker 2006: The State of Play” reveals that:
. Over 50 percent of all Internet poker players have played the game naked or in their underwear.
. More than 10 percent have injured themselves playing poker (the mind boggles!)
. Around 33 percent would forfeit their partner for $1 million.
. About 60 percent would rather play poker than have sex.
. Almost 40 percent have lied in order to play poker.
. Approximately 35 percent believe that the IRA’s Gerry Adams would make the best poker player amongst British and Irish politicians.
The report includes a survey of hundreds of poker players across Ireland and the UK, together with information taken from the Paddy Power Poker database, and finds that most poker players in Ireland plan to vote for Fianna Fail in the next general election. New leader David Cameron will be delighted to hear that most poker players in the UK intend to vote Conservative.
When asked who would win a game of poker between George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Fidel Castro, Kim Jong Il and Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro was voted the clear champ.
Given the choice of playing a game of poker with an historical figure, Elvis narrowly won out over gunslinger and poker legend Wild Bill Hickok and more than 70 percent of players confessed to wanting to throw their computer out the window after suffering a bad beat.
The report also reveals that:
. 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.