Chess with friends

[Sanlmar]

There is no commonality between poker skills and chess skills. None.

 

seriously, none.

Becoming a top chess player is like becoming a top mathematician in terms of commitment and energy expenditure. Becoming a top poker player = lol i read a book, have a massive roll, and run above average. #sorrynotsorry.

There are people who are great at both but usually thats because they are ferociously bright.

As for mistakes/blunders... at mid-level chess, the man who pursues the least flawed moves wins.

At high level chess, the man who pursues the least flawed theory wins. So youre not entirely wrong. Not to say the masters dont make blunders but they are rare, you get the idea Im sure.

Poker is a game of probability. On a more advance level poker is a game of probability and how different people react given their knowledge based on a limited number of facts.

Chess all the facts are on the table, it creates a vastly different game.

Those are two vastly different skill sets which I think is what you are alluding to above.

Just because the average player (or even a very good player) at poker is far less skilled doesn't mean the game is less complicated than chess. It just means we are not as far a long the progression curve of the game.

Chess is like 700 years old in modern form.

Poker is like 150 years old in modern form.

If you fall within the alleged PFA 35-50 demographic and had an ego and liked games you prolly took a shot at chess.

This was before there were so many other nerd sport alternatives available to kids today.

Unless you enjoyed doing your brother's physics homework you realized pretty quick chess was just something to play on a lark and nothing more. It served to teach an arrogant, indulged adolescent a quick lesson that "you ain't so special".

Yeah, chess is about memorization and enormous investment in time.

Most important, chess is the one game that when played at a high level has no allowance for a mistake. You make an error - you lose. Period. That blows - that is a flawed game.

No other game or sport is like that. Poker you can fuck up a hand, several hands and still rally. Chip & chair. Any other sport involves mistakes and errors and fighting through that shit. (Wrestling comes close to being unforgiving of errors.)

The allegation that hard work - 10,000 hours and all that - makes the difference is another reality that a young kid begins to learn early. He learns it's horse shit.

The fact is certain shit just come easier to some than others. Life ain't fair. Figure it out fast and adjust. Why does some kid have a "live arm" and the kid who goes to all the pitching lessons and does all the work not succeed?

So for the rest of us, games & sports that permit errors (poker) are popular. Games like chess are niche and remain that way.

The freaks & mental illness are amusing stories and i tune in. Read a lot about Bobby Fisher - tremendous stuff. Epic.

People who allege to be chess fans got some screw loose IMO. Unresolved mommy issues. I dunno.