What do pro golfers and pro poker players have in common? Read on to find out…
Poker and golf may seem like two very different games, however, once you scratch beneath the surface and start analysing what it takes to be a great golfer and a great poker player, you’ll see the two have many similarities.
There is a reason why famous poker players love betting on golf, and why so many golfers have made their way to the table for a few hands. The two games go hand-in-hand, and this post will tell you why.
How You Play
The first similarity is one that is pretty obvious. Both poker and golf are individual games, it is you against the world, and only you are responsible for your success and failure. What this also means, is that you are the one who has to ensure that you do well.
As mentioned, this is pretty obvious, but when you’re playing a tournament, in golf or poker, with millions on the line, and there is no one you can turn to that will help you win or help you get out of a tricky situation, you really need to become a different player and turn on the burners to deal with that. We will talk about mentality next, as that is the other factor.
Both games are obviously also games of skill. While you can say this about other sports too, golf and poker require the same amount of mental and physical skill if you are going to succeed.
They are also both sports where the underdog or the amateur can easily pull off a victory and shock the more experienced field. While both games require skill, they also require an equal amount of luck.
Mentality
Mentality was mentioned before, and these two games require the highest level of mental fortitude compared to others. Think of a golf tournament, they aren’t 60 minutes or 90 minutes of you staying focussed, you need to be on top of your game for 4 days straight if you have any hopes of winning.
Same can be said about poker, you aren’t playing a few dozen hands or playing for a couple of hours, it is a serious grind if you are planning on getting to that final table and setting yourself up to take home the win.
This level of mental fortitude does trump that of other sports. A tennis tournament may be spread over a couple of weeks, but you aren’t playing every day, and you have time to rest and reset before heading back onto the court, you can’t do that in golf or poker.
Also consider the fact that one mistake can instantly end your chances of winning in both sports. Losing the majority of your chips on a hand you overplayed, or hitting the ball into the water and finishing with a double or triple bogey, those are tournament enders, and these things are on the minds of the players constantly.
This type of pressure is experienced both on the golf course and at the poker table, and it takes a seriously strong mind, and being someone who can hold their nerve, if you want to win anything, or even have a shot to win.
Playing Partners
While both may be individual games, you aren’t playing by yourself, you have others at the poker table or a couple of players play together on the golf course. Either way, who you are playing with makes a massive difference to your performance.
Some games you may be playing with the quiet types who just keep to themselves and play their game, while other times you are with loud, brash people who, by accident or deliberately sometimes, use their loud personality types to put you off your game.
The amount of different people you will play with or play against in your golf or poker journey is staggering, and using your experiences with these different characters to learn is most definitely a way players have improved their game and learnt how to deal with many different situations.
Repetition
The final aspect is repetition. You will not find a single professional or passionate poker player that hasn’t played thousands and thousands of hands, and same with a golfer, they have hit a mind blowing amount of balls, whether on the course or at the driving range.
This repetition is also due to the fact that so many players know they will never be masters of their craft, they will never be the perfect golfer or poker player, yet if you aren’t practicing or playing constantly, you won’t get close.
As you can see, two games that aren’t similar on the surface, actually have a lot in common once you start digging. And whale both games are incredible to play, they are simultaneously the most rewarding and most frustrating past times you can take part in.