THE BEAST

Many musicians, especially rock and metal musicians, love strategic games like poker. But why, in particular, are metal musicians drawn to poker? 

Metal Musicians Love Poker

There are many metal musicians who are known for their love of poker , but some of the most famous musicians are Scott Ian of Anthrax, Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Many of them have even been known to get together to play casual tournaments. And if you’re wondering who hosts the game, that would be Scott Ian (the most passionate poker player of the bunch).

One of the main reasons metal musicians love poker is that it is both challenging and entertaining. Similar to playing an instrument, poker is something they can learn, even master, but also never stop learning about. There are all types of poker variations, strategies, and different ways of playing (online, with friends, in tournaments) to keep them interested and invested in the game.

Like metal music, poker is more aggressive. Since metal musicians are drawn to aggressive metal music, it makes sense that they’d be drawn to a more aggressive game like poker.

But poker is also sheer entertainment. It’s a way to kick back and relax when at home or a way to keep busy while on tour . There’s a lot of free time when on the road or even on a global tour, and they need some way to pass the time — So why not make it an entertaining time? It’s active entertainment too, and it keeps their mind working; It’s not something they can mindlessly absorb.

Musicians and a love for entertainment often go hand in hand. After all, they’d never be able to do what they do day after day if they didn’t love to entertain. So the game’s social nature appeals to their profession as metal musicians. After all, they perform for a living!

Poker Players Love Metal

Many poker players, whether professional or amateur, enjoy listening to music while gaming because it can improve mood, reduce stress, and enable clear thinking . But not just any music. Every player has their preferences, music that will help them to perform at their best. And for many players, metal music is the genre of choice.

Besides the reasons listed above, metal music, in particular, is great for amping you up for a poker game. It can help you to get in the zone — to get ready to face and challenge your opponents. This is especially crucial for major tournaments where there’s a lot more at stake, but players have seen performance benefits across the board.

Additionally, listening to metal while playing poker can help to relieve stress from outside sources or the game itself. Although you might think it could put you on edge since it amps you up, it actually can relax you and lower your heart rate. And with stress relief comes better performance.

Metal can also help to effectively block out outside distractions, which can help players to better focus on the game. It can also help to control any straying thoughts you might have. Because of its energetic and upbeat nature, the genre will help to inspire quicker, more focused thought. If the right music can help to improve athletes’ performance while practicing and competing, then why can’t the right music improve thought?

Metal and Poker Go Hand in Hand

There are many reasons that metal musicians are drawn to poker, and many reasons that poker players choose metal music as their preferred genre. Both metal musicians and poker players enjoy living on the edge — living for the thrill. Poker is inherently thrilling because even though there’s a lot of strategy and skill involved, there’s still an element of chance. With metal music, the very genre is more upbeat and aggressive, which can help to inspire poker players to better take on their opponents. At the end of the day, it’s no wonder the two go hand in hand.