If you want to learn how to play poker, remember that this is a sedentary job. Players sit at the table in tournaments for several hours. Thanks to sedentary work, questions arise with the figure. But it’s not a problem. After all, there are a number of exercises for this. Below we will analyze the rules of table behavior and how to help yourself be in good shape.
Poker rules for beginners
Poker is a very simple and exciting game, the rules of which even a novice player can master in just a few minutes. Below we have prepared for you the key points in the rules of Texas Hold’em, which will allow even complete “dummies” to start playing poker today.
Texas Hold’em is the simplest and most popular form of poker today. In fact, this is classic poker, where each poker player starts the game with two closed (“pocket”) cards – this is one of the basic rules of poker. This is followed by four rounds of betting, during which five open community cards are dealt, forming a “board”, and bets are placed.
The community cards can be used by any player along with their “hole” cards in order to collect the best combination of five poker cards. In this case, closed cards can be used completely, partially or not used at all.
According to the rules of poker, the best five-card combination wins, which can consist of both five community cards and two closed cards in the hands of each player.
Complete Table Rules
Every poker hand begins with mandatory bets. Before the distribution of cards, two players (sitting to the left of the button) put mandatory bets – small and big blinds. The small blind is half the size of the big blind.
These stakes are needed so that the participants in the distribution have something to fight for. In a cash game, the size of the blinds is determined by the limit with which the game is played at a given table.
Poker Rules
After that, each player is dealt two cards face down, from that moment the game begins. In regular Hold’em, as in most other types of online poker, the player has the opportunity to do several different actions. The full list of actions available to players in various situations is as follows:
FOLD is the refusal to continue the fight for the pot in response to a bet (bet) or raise (raise) from an opponent. In this case, the player discards his cards and they go into the discard pile. The player who folded is no longer eligible for this hand.
CHECK – if no one has bet before in the current round, the player can check. In fact, this is a pass, and transfer it to the next active player, who is sitting on the left. Checking does not mean giving up the fight for the pot, it is only giving up the opportunity to bet in the current round.
BET – if there are no bets in the current round, the player can make a bet (bet). In this case, he sets the price for the continuation of the game. The players sitting behind him decide what to do: throw away the cards (fold), call the bet (call) or raise again (raise). The minimum stake in the game is the big blind.
CALL – if a bet was made in the current round, the player can call it by calling and adding the same number of chips to the pot equal to the bet or raise of the last player.
RAISING – if a bet is made in the current round of betting, the player can raise it by making a raise. To do this, he must make a bet that will exceed the bet of the last player. To qualify for this pot, all other players must either call or reraise. Otherwise, they have only one option left – this is to discard their cards, that is, fold. In no-limit hold’em, the size and number of raises is not limited.
These are the basic rules of poker. Next, we will talk in detail about the 4 stages of betting and how the winner in the hand is determined.
For those who constantly sit at the computer and at the table
Many people spend most of the day at the office or at work in a seated position. Since the beginning of the pandemic, some people are working from home, and the amount of time spent working in a chair or on a sofa has increased.
We have selected 10 exercises that do not take up much time and space and that everyone can do at work or in their home office, at home.
Keeping fit
Kelly Calabrese, a physiologist, believes that improving the ability of the heart to move from a resting state to a state of activity increases life expectancy and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Due to the constant sitting at the table, a person may experience various diseases and discomfort in different parts of the body, for example:
- pain in the neck and shoulder joint;
- obesity;
- musculoskeletal disorders;
- stress;
- back pain.
It is very important that the exercises in the office should be separated from the daily exercises at home or in the gym. They can only serve as a small addition to your classic daily workouts. Most medical organizations believe that a person should perform 30 minutes of intense physical activity five days a week.
Exercise and Stretching 60-Second Aerobics
Interrupt yourself at least once in the office a day for 60-second aerobics and do the following exercises.
Perform an exercise similar to running in place for 60 seconds.
Raise your knees as close to your chest as possible. This exercise is also called running in place.Simulate jumping rope for one minute. You can jump from one foot to the other or jump on both at once. An even simpler option is to imitate the movement of the hand when turning the rope itself, tapping the toes of each foot in turn. Exercise can be done while sitting at the table: just quickly raise your knees a little up. This will also create additional stress on the abdominal muscles. If your office has a large space, walk through it periodically at a pace slightly above average. If the office is located on several floors, go up and down at least 5-7 times a day.
Chair Triceps Push-ups
For this exercise, using a stable chair, place your hands on the seat next to your hips. Move your hips to a position in front of the chair and bend your elbows, lowering your body so that your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Push off and do 16 reps.
Triceps Weight Lifts
Lifting small weights on those muscles that are hardly used during the working day will be a good part of the warm-up. For example, triceps lifts. It can be done in a sitting or standing position. You can use the simplest bottle of water with a volume of half a liter for weighting instead of the usual dumbbells.
Lifting dumbbells for triceps from behind the head.
Sit up straight, tighten your core, and hold a full water bottle in one hand. Bring the bottle behind your head, your shoulder should be laid aside. Straighten your arm up, hold it slightly and lower it down. Do 12 reps for each arm.
Table push-ups
This is a great exercise to work the triceps and chest muscle groups. How to do them:
- stand facing the table and lean against it, your arms should be slightly wider than your shoulders, and your arms should be straight;
- lower yourself until your chest almost reaches the table, then return to the starting position;
- Do at least 10-12 repetitions.
Bicep curls
This is also a quick and easy exercise to stretch your biceps, pecs, and other arm muscles. It can be done both sitting and standing. You can also use a water bottle as a weighting agent.
Lifting the load on the biceps (instead of dumbbells, you can use a bottle of water).
Take the water bottle in your right hand. Lower and straighten it completely. Tighten and straighten your abs, and keep your back straight. Raise the bottle to your shoulder for 10-12 reps. Repeat the exercise with the other hand.
Seated
Leg Curls Sit up straight with your stomach in and tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your left foot a few inches off the ground with your knee slightly bent. After that, straighten your leg forward, hold it in this position for 2-3 seconds and return to its original position on the floor. Do 10-12 repetitions for each leg.
Squats
A classic exercise for most of the muscles of the body, which will perfectly stretch your legs, back and core muscles. For convenience in the office, they can be done with a chair to protect yourself from injury and better control the exercise process.
Chair Squats
Stand up straight, tighten your core muscles and straighten your shoulders. Then lower your pelvis until your thighs are about an inch above the chair. Stretch your arms out in front of you for balance. Hold for 2-3 seconds above the chair, stand up completely and repeat the squat 10-12 times.
Triceps and Back
Stretch Stretching can be a good habit to develop by doing it at work every day. Everyone can set a timer to remind themselves of a brisk walk or stretch every hour or less. There are a number of specific exercises that can be done at the table.
While stretching, breathe evenly and do not hold your breath. Do not strive to stretch to the point of pain in the muscles, the exercise should be comfortable and convenient. Below is a great exercise to stretch your triceps and back muscles.
Raise your arm and bend it so that it stretches to the opposite side. With the other hand, pull your elbow towards your head. Feel a slight stretch in the triceps and back muscles on the side of the bent arm. Hold your arms in this position for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Shoulder and Chest Stretch
Place your hands behind your back, clasping them or just holding them next to each other. Lift your chest, spread your shoulders and lift your chin. Hold the body in this position for 10 to 30 seconds. Breathe evenly while doing this.
Back and Neck Stretch
This exercise is also known as the diamond stretch. It will perfectly stretch the muscles of the upper back and neck, which experience a lot of stress while working in a sitting position, especially while working at a computer.
Clasp your hands in front of you or just stretch them forward
- Lower your head to the same level with your hands, feel the stretch in your neck and upper back.
- Hold the body in this position for 10-30 seconds. You can do several repetitions.
How to keep fit at work?
Try to stay physically active at work as much as possible. Go up the stairs, park farther from the office entrance, get off one stop early. Beyond that, there are a few more options to help you move more.
If you work from home, buy yourself a gym ball and periodically sit on it instead of your usual chair. This will strengthen your abs and back and make you pay more attention to your posture. Set an alarm that goes off every hour to remind you of small physical activities every time. It is enough even to make a few swings with your hands and a couple of deep breaths. Use the toilet on another floor to use the stairs more often.
Use your phone or smart watch to track how many steps you take. Try to take 6-10 thousand steps a day. During your lunch break, try walking around the parking lot, down the street, or just around the office itself.
Any movement is better than none. Adding short workouts throughout the day will help you burn more calories,
reduce stress, and keep you more productive throughout your workday.