How to stay healthy while playing poker online.

The fact that online poker is an activity requiring little physical effort is no excuse for not staying healthy.

Here are some tips for keeping fit.

Recognise the importance of health in poker: One of the reasons you don't see many poker players in the gym is because most don't believe that health has anything to do with winning. The reality, however, is that poor health will directly influence a player's poker game.

Take some exercise: If you spend hours playing poker, it's likely that the idea of doing exercise doesn't even enter your mind. Even the most successful poker players have to attend 25-minute gym sessions at least three times a week.

Follow a diet: If you find it difficult to get to the gym, but have noticed that you've been putting on weight, adopt a nutritional diet. Although diets can, indeed, be scary at first, it's not necessary to starve yourself. A balanced diet is more than sufficient.

Consider multi-vitamins: You won't be able to stay in shape if you don't follow a diet or do any exercise. However, you can boost your health by taking multi-vitamin supplements. Vitamins are great because they ensure we receive necessary nutrients.

Recently, two new studies have demonstrated that poker, as opposed to other casino games, is a game requiring great skill.

For regular players, that's nothing new, but the study will help the cause of those who are trying to convince the US Congress to exclude online poker from the law prohibiting similar activities.

"I depend exclusively on my skill at the game to feed myself and pay the rent," says Darse Billings, a poker player and founder of an online institute studying the game, the Computer Poker Research Group.

Many jurisdictions in the United States, however, have imposed very strict regulations on online poker game sites because the dominant factor in the game is deemed to be luck.  - - The fact that online poker is an activity requiring little physical effort is no excuse for not staying healthy. If you spend hours playing poker, it's likely that the idea of doing exercise doesn't even enter your mind. But the most successful poker players have to attend 25-minute gym sessions at least three times a week. - Poor health will directly influence a player's poker game