Botox for Gamblers

Who needs to keep a straight face and not reveal their emotions? Poker players! Despite sometimes unintended consequences, a doctor is betting that poker players are going to be the next big market for Botox.

In the Huffington Post, David Moye quotes Dr. Jack Berdy as saying, "Some people might get a card they like or don’t like and raise their eyebrows. If that’s the common reaction, we can put Botox in certain areas to minimize them."

Berdy is marketing a combination of Botox and facial fillers for players called "Pokertox."

They can also use Pokertox to bluff. Moye quotes Berdy as saying, "We can also put Botox in areas to make it look like the player has a ‘tell’ they really don’t have."

An application of "Pokertox" only lasts about three or four months, and successful players will undoubtedly purchase further applications, especially if other players in their gambling group get Botoxed too.

But not all poker players think it’s a good idea. Moye quotes champion Josh Hale as saying, "Plastic surgery is expensive. You’d have to play in very high-stakes games to make it worth it, and if you have a ‘tell’ that is that obvious, you shouldn’t be playing in those games.

"The game has moved on from bluffs, and is more analytical these days. Players might look at physical tells, but they are relying more on betting patterns and bet sizing."

Moye quotes poker playing philosopher Ellen Leikind as saying, "It’s brilliant marketing. However, there are lots of ‘tells’ that can’t be covered up with Botox, such as a throbbing vein in the neck or a tendency to start chatting when you have a good hand, or reaching into your chips subconsciously."

Las Vegas is the home of some of the biggest poker games and it’s also one of the main cities where you can listen to comedians. Will these jokers soon be playing to an audience of Botoxed poker faces?

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