Can Poker Improve Your Baseball Game?
There has long been a connection between elite athletes and poker. In a general, overarching sense, for instance, there have long been anecdotes about athletes on the road, playing poker (and other card games) during long plane or bus rides, in roadside hotels, and so on. More specifically though, there have also been a lot of famous athletes who are known to have been avid (and often successful) poker players. Tennis legend Boris Becker, Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce, and Olympic swimming titan Michael Phelps are just a few of many examples.
As it happens, baseball is no different. Over the years, there have been numerous standout MLB stars who have been closely associated with the poker tables. Famous sluggers like Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco have shown up at tournaments. The great pitcher Orel Hershiser has amassed tens of thousands in winnings at real tournaments. And according to an in-depth article at TheRinger.com, Alex Rodriguez is one of a number of celebrities to have been involved in the high-stakes underground games once organized by Molly Boom (whose story was told in the 2017 film Molly’s Game).
But what is the actual connection?
To paraphrase a thought from the character of John Hoynes in the television show The West Wing, people appreciate baseball because of its situations. Full count with a man on second; hit-and-run with the tying run on first; bases loaded, bottom of the ninth. As thrilling as situations like these are for fans though, they’re sensationally tense for players. But it just so happens that poker players are familiar with similar tension. Texas Hold’em in particular is a game of scenarios: bluffing with a high card; betting big with hopes of a flush; going all-in just before the final card is dealt.
Of course these are very different settings and types of scenarios. But poker teaches players to pause, measure moments, and perform under pressure. It’s experience that can only be helpful when you confront a similarly dramatic situation in baseball.
Another key aspect of poker that can benefit a baseball player is that self-assessment is absolutely vital. A Poker.org piece on how pros develop puts it nicely, stating that “taking the time to evaluate your play objectively will give you an unbiased, impartial view of your poker skills.” A poker player aspiring to improve, that is, cannot afford to be stubborn or blind to persistent issues; they must instead study their own habits and identify areas that need improvement.
This learned tendency translates directly, not just to baseball but to all kinds of activities. If you learn to self-assess at the poker table –– and you see the resulting improvement –– you’ll be more inclined to take a similar approach when it comes to, say, fixing a kink in your swing.
People who play poker regularly and/or seriously also learn to play the long game, so to speak. They come to understand that even sound, strategic play can result in bad-luck losses –– but that over time, such play provides the best chance of net success. In poker, winning even 55% of your hands can yield significant profit. But you have to have the patience to let this happen, rather than go for big wins every time you play.
There’s no sport for which this is more relevant than baseball. Games and seasons are long, margins between success and failure can be razor-thin, and what seems to outsiders like mediocre play –– say, getting a hit in 3 out of 10 at-bats –– amounts to tremendous success over time.
We mentioned Dodger great Orel Hershiser above as one of the best baseball players associated with poker. And interestingly enough, an article on Hershiser at TheColdWire.com inadvertently speaks to one more connection between the games. Of the pitcher, the article notes that “though his strikeouts were low, he still had great success.” The simple fact is, Orel Hershiser did not have overpowering “stuff.” But he pitched cleverly, mastered his own arsenal, and dominated hitters.
Poker is a little less black and white. But players do still develop their own ways of winning. Some play more aggressively, some more conservatively; some seek to assess and outsmart opponents, others strictly play the cards. Ultimatley, it’s a game that teaches you to win the way you can win –– a concept baseball players, too, become familiar with.
None of this is to suggest that poker creates good baseball players in and of itself. But there are some concepts and strategies that play into both games in oddly similar ways. For this reason, it’s fair to suggest that learning poker might just improve your baseball game on the margins.
We hope you found this little look at a common baseball player side hobby interesting! Come back for more baseball content at Al’s Fastball soon.
