Beyond its physical health benefits, playing sports can also positively influence cognitive function. Research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity emphasizes the link between physical activity and cognitive functioning in everyday life, mainly influencing mental skills like memory, thinking, and sharpness of mind. Even small increases in physical activity through exercise, sports, and outdoor activities can help individuals boost their brain’s ability to process and remember information.
In other words, when athletes engage in training and fitness activities, they are also exercising their brains and enhancing their cognitive health. This explains why athletes can excel in other intellectual activities like poker, which was recently recognized as a mind sport that combines strategy, critical thinking, and decision-making.
A notable example is Zack Slusser, a breakdancing expert who led the breaking division of USA Dance for the sport’s debut at the 2024 Olympics. Slusser played professional poker until 2010 before fully focusing on pro- breaking.
In fact, the mind-body connection can also be observed in the number of athletes who successfully transitioned from their respective sports to the world of professional poker. Below, we highlight former athletes who proved they have both the brains and the brawns to shine at poker, ultimately bringing their A-game from the field to the felt.
Jon Pardy
While he is more commonly known as the winner of Big Brother Canada Season 2, Canadian poker player Jon Pardy was also a hockey prodigy. At age 16, Pardy was drafted to the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He also played with the Yarmouth Mariners for the 2010-2011 hockey season.
However, after suffering a career-ending injury, Pardy found another calling in poker and joined poker games in the Virgin Islands. After being introduced to Phil Nagy, CEO of the leading online poker site ACR Poker, he became more active in the professional scene. Aside from finishing first at the 2019 $200 + 35 No Limit Hold’em – Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) Charity Event, Pardy is an official member of ACR Poker’s team of Pros. The ACR Poker Pros represent the platform by creating engaging content and hosting live streams on Twitch and YouTube.
Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour is a former professional football player in the NFL. He was a defensive end for the New England Patriots, where he was teammates with legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady, and the Oakland Raiders, where he was traded during his final year with the Patriots. After retiring in 2013, Seymour began playing professional poker, with the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event at the 2014 World Poker Tour (WPT) being his first notable event.
Throughout the years, Seymour regularly participated in elite poker tournaments, such as the WPT, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, and the World Series of Poker (WSOP). At the 2023 WSOP Main Event, the Pro Football Hall of Famer made headlines after eliminating two players with a King-Queen. He finished 63rd in the $1,500 No Limit Hold ‘Em event. Although Seymour is yet to win a WSOP bracelet, his total live earnings come in at a whopping $793,789.
Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham is a former English soccer player known for scoring the equalizing goal for Manchester United that helped them win the 1999 UEFA Champions League. After leaving Manchester United at the end of the 2000- 20001 season, he returned to Tottenham Hotspur after spending a few seasons with Portsmouth and Westham United. At age 42, he retired after turning out for Colchester United in 2008.
Upon retiring from competitive soccer, Sheringham entered the world poker scene by participating in various competitions, including the high-stakes £10,000 + 350 No Limit Hold’em Main Event at the 2009 WSOP Europe. His highlights include placing fifth at the European Poker Tour Vilamoura’s €5,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event and taking home €93,121.
Clearly, it is more than possible for ex-pro athletes to transition into mind sports like poker. The cognitive benefits that they gain from regular physical activity and their dedication to their craft certainly give them an edge over their competitors. This helps to create good lifelong habits that carry over into their future endeavors after their professional careers end.
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