Poker Tournament Trail -- Jerry BussBuss Talks About His Attraction to Poker and His Competitiveness |
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You probably know Jerry Buss (pictured right) as the owner of the NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers. He has also become a familiar face on the tournament trail, as he plays poker to quench his competitive thirst. Buss has cashed in poker tournaments more than 30 times during the past two decades, and he even came close to winning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 1991, when he cashed in third place in a $2,500 seven-card stud event. Buss has also used poker to assist his charity work with the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation. Events that benefit his charity foundation have become annual fixtures at the L.A. Poker Classic and Legends of Poker.
Card Player caught up with Buss in Las Vegas, and he talked about what interests him regarding the game of poker.
Ryan Lucchesi: What drives you in your pursuit of poker?
Jerry Buss: The competitiveness. Once you reach a certain age, there are very few things you can do to compete with people. I find it very enjoyable to compete every day of my life.
RL: Do you consider poker a mental exercise, like chess?
JB: Yeah, you could play chess or other games, but I find this more relaxing, and I like the camaraderie. In chess, you don’t sit there and joke that much. Poker is a lot of fun; it’s social, as well as competitive.
RL: What games do you like to play primarily?
JB: Probably seven-card stud the most. I played that a long time ago, maybe 25 years or so. Some of the games are relatively new for me.
RL: One of your players on the Lakers, Jordan Farmar, ran pretty deep in the World Series of Poker main event this year. If you two were to play each other, who would win? Have you played against him?
JB: I think I better say Jordan, for sure. I wouldn’t want to take out one of our players. He played very well and made it to the third day of the main event, that’s terrific.
RL: You do a lot of charity work with your organization, the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation. Is hosting poker tournaments for your charity at the L.A.-area poker tournaments something you plan on doing more of in the future?
JB: Yeah, I like charity poker tournaments. Everybody is relaxed, and the social aspect [is magnified]. People seem to be very generous when it comes to charity poker tournaments. A lot of times, they will make a separate donation in addition to the buy-in.
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