Compatible Poker writes:
Nevertheless, Phelps was back on the green felt at the Borgato and made it through to the second day. The swimmer lost to Jeff Madsen in the third round and then beat pros such as Adam Gerber and Paul Wasicka in another bracket.I really don't like poker and I never found it romantic. The players showcased on ESPN and such always struck me as somewhat dull or obnoxiously loud and one-for-one they are lousy dressers.
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7 comments:
Michael Phelps seems determined to be a success at anything he applies himself to. He is being taught by some of the best poker players in the world, so it wouldnt surprise me if he eventually became one of the better celebrity poker players.
From a swimming standpoint Phelps isn't doing himself any favors by hanging out in those smoky casinos. I've hung out at the Bellagio, which has arguably the best air flow in Vegas, and after fifteen minutes on the floor my eyes start to burn. Every hour he's in a casino probably adds another hundredth of a second or something like that to his 2012 200 fly.
I for one feel it hurts his brand.
There are quite a few high profile athletes who are known to play poker/gamble. Not surprising, because it non-physically mimics athletics in that it's extremely competitive and there's probably an associated adrenaline rush. There's luck involved (as there is in sports), but quite a bit of skill is needed as well.
I wouldn't be concerned about MP's involvement in this. He seems to be quite good at it, but more importantly, he's relatively circumspect about it and does not play for super-high stakes. He's not like Jordan or Barkley, who are infamous for losing millions upon millions because of their gambling habits.
Poker mostly is a legal recreation and quite popular. As a recreation, ironically enough, it seems not so much at odds with swimming, but an entirely different demographic.
The people attracted to gambling are usually people with a high threshold of excitement, i.e., it takes a lot to get their motor running. They are often known as people with "nerves of steel" who don't get nervous as the types of things that make the rest of us nervous. That's why a guy like Michael Jordan, who was such a great clutch player (i.e., who rose to the occasion and never let his nerves get the better of him) would be attracted to gambling, and actually develop a habit. Normal things don't excite him as much. Phelps' attraction to gambling (albeit for much smaller stakes at this point) may similarly be related to why he is such a great clutch player, and his nerves never got the better of him at the Olympics. He is also a diagnosed ADHD guy, and cards/gambling are an attractive activity for someone with that disorder.
I don't think the cards per se will hurt his brand unless he lets the gambling get out of hand, but I do think that swimming poorly for the next few years will, and he won't swim well if he spends his time hanging out in smoky casinos.
Speaking of ADD candidates, I have ADD; (betcha could not tell ;-), and I could not sit still nor could I stay focused for 1-6 hours playing poker.
He must have some real interest in it.
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