Magnus Carlsen, number one chess player in the world and former world champion, looks to
have set his sights on💲 poker after relinquishing his world title after a decade of
ruling the roost.
A few weeks ago, the man many consider💲 the best chess player of all
time was lining up against some of the best poker players in the business💲 at the EPT
Monte Carlo.
"I came here to this exact location in Monaco in 2007,because I was
playing a tournament💲 here. And I came to watch the European Poker Tour because
Alexander Grischuk, who was like back then a top💲 ten player — is still like a very,
very good chess player — he was playing here in the Main💲 Event. So I went to watch him
play."
Carlsen spent some time talking to PokerNews and PokerStars to give his thoughts
💲 on the recent discipline switch.
There are many chess players who play poker on the
side. PokerStars Team Pro WGM Jennifer💲 Shahade is one who plays at a high level in both
games. Chess streamer WFM Alexandra Botez is also seen💲 playing poker a lot more these
days.
Carlsen told the interviewer that he thinks new Chess World Champion Ding Liren
would💲 also make a great poker player.
"I think the current World Champion Ding here
should be really strong," he said. "I💲 know from talking to him, he calculates really
quickly in chess…is really, really good at math. So I'm sure he💲 could do well."
The
Norwegian then explained how he thinks poker is an interesting challenge but he doesn’t
hold any ambition💲 for the future. Unsurprisingly, however, analysis of key hands in
live events has shown the chess king to be more💲 than capable of thinking his way
through a hand.
"I don't like to take a lot of pride in my poker.So💲 I'm trying to, you
know, learn a little bit, so it doesn't bother me that much. But if I do💲 something
really stupid, then that's to be expected. So that's fine."
He also explained how the
similarities between chess and poker💲 are closer than people might think.
"I think the
similarities between poker and chess are more than people would think. Of💲 course there
is perfect information in chess, but still, you make a lot of decisions based on, like,
imperfect calculation.💲 So in that sense, it's a little bit of the same."
With the World
Series of Poker in Las Vegas, we💲 might get the chance to see Magnus Carlsen back in
action again at the felt. With no world title to💲 defend and an admitted lack of work on
chess in recent months, Carlsen could be ready to get stuck in💲 at the greatest poker
series on the calendar.