Poker, similar to golf?

[Clubswinger21]

Someone told me golfers would be good at poker because the mental aspect of the 2 sports are similar. Does that statement have any relevance?

[Shindig]

Someone told me golfers would be good at poker because the mental aspect of the 2 sports are similar. Does that statement have any relevance?

I doubt it. In golf, you play the course, not the other players. In poker, you have to play the other players almost as much as you play the cards.

There isn't much of a bluffing aspect in golf, unless I've seriously missed something.

[Mormon Danny]

As far as the amount of concentration needed to play well at either it could be considered similar. I was going to say the same thing about the difference in playing the course and playing other players. Factoring in luck would definately be higher in Poker too.

[LottaBalata]

Poker is definitely a people game/skill game. Much luck involved. I guess reading your opponent could be viewed as similar to reading a green. I think there is obviously much more skill needed to play golf. Any donk can play pocket aces.

[Craig Mac]

I play both and would say the only comparable thing, to me at least, is the ability to keep your head in the game. A bad beat in Poker can affect you like a bad hole in Golf, I watch poker players go on Tilt just like golfers snowball after a bad hole. You have to think your way around a course just as you would a hand(aggressive or conservative play). But I don't think that being good at one would help that much with the other. Each require a discipline that is best served with practice.

[Ben]

I play both and would say the only comparable thing, to me at least, is the ability to keep your head in the game. A bad beat in Poker can affect you like a bad hole in Golf, I watch poker players go on Tilt just like golfers snowball after a bad hole. You have to think your way around a course just as you would a hand(aggressive or conservative play). But I don't think that being good at one would help that much with the other. Each require a discipline that is best served with practice.

Well put.

[Big_M]

I play both and would say the only comparable thing, to me at least, is the ability to keep your head in the game. A bad beat in Poker can affect you like a bad hole in Golf, I watch poker players go on Tilt just like golfers snowball after a bad hole. You have to think your way around a course just as you would a hand(aggressive or conservative play). But I don't think that being good at one would help that much with the other. Each require a discipline that is best served with practice.

yeah... I pretty much agree. I will say this though... same thing gets me in trouble in golf as in poker... knowing I've been dealt a bad hand and trying to make something of it anyway.

I consider myelf a better poker player than golfer though... I play a weekly game with some law students and we usually have 8-15 people. Nothing is better than taking out the Professor... at least until he calls on you the next day and you haven't read.

[Craig Mac]

same thing gets me in trouble in golf as in poker... knowing I've been dealt a bad hand and trying to make something of it anyway.

Yeah and I've been known to try to hit a punch fade from the rough with a 4 wood from 240 on a par 4 after a bad tee shot

Sometimes you just got to take your medicine but dam it's hard

[j0npeterson]

I think there are commonalities between them, but lumping them together as similar is stretch.

I play B&M; three nights a week and probably put in 30 more hours online and I wholeheartedly agree with Craig on keeping a level head in both. The guys I love to see at the table are the same ones I like to get a spendy nassau going with.

They do go hand-in-hand at the 19th hole though. There's always a game going in a clubhouse somewhere.

[ShotCaLLa]

I play both and would say the only comparable thing, to me at least, is the ability to keep your head in the game. A bad beat in Poker can affect you like a bad hole in Golf, I watch poker players go on Tilt just like golfers snowball after a bad hole. You have to think your way around a course just as you would a hand(aggressive or conservative play). But I don't think that being good at one would help that much with the other. Each require a discipline that is best served with practice.

I agree completely.

Also, you have to stand up, move your body, hit something, be outside, be athletic, be awake during the day , and you can't quit after a bad shot. Golf is also a 4-letter word.