Doctors in the last 5 to 10 years have begun touting the benefits of “mental” exercises for older adults. The brainteasers industry thanks them, so too crossword writers, sudoku programmers, and trivia game companies.

Of late, the benefits to mental exersizes are so well known they’ve spawned a Wii game fad. You have to wonder if the Wii brain games go the route of Wii Fit and onto the discard shelf. Problem with exercisers devices is you still have to use them. Many people buy treadmills and forget they have to run on them.   You have to imagine those same folks will tire of working out their brains.

Good thing is for poker players the game itself is mental exercise. Want to help prevent or fight off early onset of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases, it has been said, that doing those brain exercises helps. Poker fits the bill, and it’s hard to tire of poker like you might of crossword puzzles or sudoku challenges.

Probably there is far deeper thought, if you are playing poker well, that goes into any hand then most of the other options out there. Plus, you can win a little money.   Ever look around the stud tables or limit poker tables at your friendly neighborhood casino?  Looks like the waiting room for the funeral home at first glance.

A brick and mortar casino is usually a deathtrap of low hanging cigarette smoke, fatty diets, and people seated for 14 hours at a time.  Not the place you’d expect to see a healthy benefit for being there.  That may not be true.  In fact, 100 year-olds everywhere might beg to differ.  As shown by this lifer in New Jersey.

The intellectual challenge of poker is vast.  For older people it’s a honing of mental acuity and a daily past-time they might embrace.  Unlike golf or other sports, your body doesn’t wear down to the point you can’t engage in it.  In fact, armless players, blind players, and handicap players have all succeeded in the game. 

For older folks, it’s small glass of the fountain of youth.  It keeps their mind sharp and gives them purpose.  The great thing about the game, is now players don’t have to go to those brick and mortar deathtraps to play.  The same benefits can be accrued online. 

The micro-stakes at places like bwin ensure the same benefits from a sterile, as you want it to be, home environment.  The best thing for your grandfather might be setting him up with an online poker account.  If he has some trouble moving the mouse , play with him and make it a family moment.