For years, poker was touted as a lesser sport in comparison to others that are more physically demanding, but truthfully, the rigors of one sport cannot be compared with another. Each sport has its own strategies that challenge players both physically and mentally, so by saying that one sport is more superior over the other is a rudimentary statement.
Though no sport can truly be the cut above the rest, many do share similarities with each other, particularly poker and an array of water sports.
One might ask what a card game has anything to do with the likes of kayaking or kite-surfing, and the answer to the question is: plenty. The numerous connections shouldn’t be a surprise though, considering that a card player that can manipulate others into a false sense of security is associated with being one of the predators of the ocean (the term is card shark, if you haven’t heard of it before now).
Below are several water sports that have woven the game of poker into new competitions.
Poker and Kayaking
When the two are combined, a new sport is created: paddle poker. Communities in North America have used an event such as paddle poker as an opportunity for members in that community to engage with each other. The Lotus Sports Club in Burnaby, British Columbia continues to hold their paddle poker event at the end of summer. Paddle Williamstown is an event open to residents of North Kentucky and also features a paddle poker run.
Poker and Kitesurfing
Bwin, the company behind the Premier League and other events of PartyPoker on YouTube, has sponsored several kite-surfing competitions. The 2006 Kitesurf Pro was already the second time that the gaming corporation was involved. The live bets made available on the bwin website are quite reminiscent of the live bets that are made in a poker tournament.
Poker and Windsurfing
The partnership between windsurfing and poker was popularized by the Bonifacio Windsurf Freestyle Project, an annual competition held in South Corsica in France. The tricks, as well as their difficulty levels, performed by the professional windsurfers rely heavily on the hand that they play before plunging into the ocean. The poker element contributed to a greater challenge to the sport, but the unpredictability from poker and from windsurfing did not stop participants from outperforming each other, all the while having a great time.
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