For Better Poker Results - Create Balance

A number of poker players you see on the World Poker Tour "live, breath, eat, and sleep poker 24 hours a day." This is fine up to a point, but to achieve maximum results over the long haul, I believe you need to create balance in your life. You need to spend time with your family, go on vacations, have some hobbies, and do things outside of poker.



Golf is a great diversion from poker, because it gets you outside, enables you to breathe some fresh air, provides you a little exercise, and, best of all, provides "action" that many of us enjoy. Here's a "scouting report" on some poker players who like to play golf. This information took me a lot of years and cost me a lot of money to compile.



Josh Arieh - He has potential and hits some good shots each round, but he lacks consistency.



Doyle Brunson - He used to be a good golfer, but, sadly, he doesn't play now because of bad knees (hopefully, that will change). The best thing about Doyle is that no one on the planet creates more action on the golf course than he does. On a personal note, he will forever be my favorite golf partner in the world.



T.J. Cloutier - As you would expect, he can hit it long (at least he used to be able to). His problem is that too many of his drives duck-hook. His short game needs work.



Richard Dunberg - If you're looking for a scramble partner (that's a format in which you and your partner(s) all hit and then you play the best shot), keep Richard on your list. He does everything well a decent amount of the time (drives, iron shots, and putting).



John Esposito - He's a very good golfer. He's tough to compete against, but is good to have as a partner or bet on.



Tom Fischer - A few years back, he was as tough as they come. When it comes to knowledge about golf and/or betting on golf, put Tommy at the head of your list. My advice is to let him make your game for you. If you do, you'll most likely be making a bank deposit at the end of the day.



Jeff Freedman - If you're looking for a thoroughbred for a partner, this is your man. Jeff is the best golfer in the poker world.



Phil Hellmuth - His golf is a little like his poker game (and I'm not referring to that from a talent perspective). If you win the first hole or two against him (even with a 6 or a 7), expect to hear whining from Phil all day about how you hustled him.



Russ Hamilton - This former world champion has a swing that gets him a lot of action. He also has a game that he can dial up or down as needed, although he's nowhere near as good as he used to be.



Phil Ivey - On golf skills alone, you'd like to have him in your group, but there are two problems with Phil: (1) Competing with him is like wrestling an alligator; it wears you out and the gator almost always gets the best of it. (2) He always has hired guns with him (great golfers with whom you have to bet before Phil gives you action).



Kenna James - He's a good player who's not afraid to bet. What I love about Kenna is that he never gives up. He has as much heart as anyone I've ever seen.



Howard Lederer - He played a fair amount of golf a few years ago (and was improving), but he now spends his time on business affairs. He's been known to play for some serious bucks.



Erick Lindgren - He plays pretty well. Erick is a natural athlete with great potential. He likes to bet it up, but if the "needle" bothers you, you'd better stay out of his (and Phil Ivey's) group.



Brian Nadell - If you can put up with hollering, cussing, and moaning, you would like Brian in your group. His golf skills are erratic, at best. As much as he has played, he never seems to improve. Make him a stroke-play (medal) bet and take the pot.



Yosh Nakano - If you like money, you want Yosh in your group. His game is a little weak. He once threw his clubs into a fountain after a round and declared he was finished with golf. Wisely, one of his opponents fished them out after he left, hoping he might play again – and he did.



Puggy Pearson - He's a legend both at the poker table and on the golf course. A reporter once asked Puggy, "I hear you play a pretty good game of golf. Just how good do you play?"



Puggy broke into a grin and said, "I shoot whatever it takes to get the money." And he could!



Chip Reese - He has some game, but is the kind of player who needs to play a lot to play decently. To beat him, catch him when he's coming back to golf after a layoff.



Blair Rodman - Plays a very nice game. He can be tough to match up with, however.



Ralph Rudd - He hits the ball pretty well from tee to green, but is the worst putter in the world. Ralph is a lot of fun to play with, and is tremendous in terms of giving action on the golf course. He's tough to beat out of money, however.



Eric Sagstrom (the famous online player Eric123) - This 22-year-old from Sweden is an excellent golfer. How good is he? Well, he wants to take 10-1 odds and bet $1 million that he'll play in the U.S. Open within 10 years. I'm thinking about taking a piece of that action – against.



Dewey Tomko - He's a former scratch golfer who is known for being tough to match up against. (Phil Ivey must have gone to the "Dewey Tomko matchup school".) Dewey and his partner Hilbert Shirley have played in some of the highest-stakes golf games in history, and have done very well.



Do yourself a favor – improve your poker results by creating balance in your life.



Take care.

Mike Sexton is the host of PartyPoker.com, a commentator on the World Poker Tour (which can be seen every Wednesday on the Travel Channel), and the author of Shuffle Up and Deal (which made The New York Times best-seller list and can be purchased at http://www.cardplayer.com/). He can be reached by e-mail at: [email protected].