The Overlap Between Poker and Chess

Chess is one of the most notable and recognizable games in the world. The origins of the game date back to the ancient world, which means it has endured for millennia, and remains one of the most popular games today. While the rules, figures, and even the board itself have changed over the years, the core of chess remains the same; you must outsmart your opponent, and down their king.
On the other hand, poker is comparatively recent. The game was first created in the early 19th century. US game makers pulled on early concepts from France and England, and created a game that we now would call poker. However, poker soon branched off into several different varieties. Nowadays, you can find most of these different varieties at different online casinos and land-based gambling halls.
Despite there being a lot of differences between poker and chess, many players of both claim that there is an overlap. In this article, we would like to look at said overlap and talk about exactly what makes poker and chess similar, and how do the two differ.

Chess and Poker: Gambling Giants

Poker is, of course, one of the most popular casino games. Whether you want to play video poker at online casinos like Suomikasino, or whether you want to join a poker tournament held by one of the numerous gambling halls around the world, or anything in between, your options are open. Finding a casino that offers poker is not a difficult challenge. In other words, it is easy to call poker one of the kings of the gambling world.
On the other hand, we have chess. Some might be surprised to learn that chess is considered a sport. And all sports have their betting fans. Plenty of sportsbooks, both online and offline, offer odds on chess. From small local tournaments, to big-name, big games. It doesn’t end there though. Some casinos have even begun including chess or chess-themed slots in their catalog. Not to mention, chess has existed since the Ancient world, meaning people have been wagering on games for millennia.

Chess and Poker: Mind Games

Most people who play poker, usually don’t do chess, and vice versa. However, the few that do have all said the same thing; chess and poker overlap in many ways. One of the ways in which the two overlap is that they are both mind games more than anything. What do we mean by this? Well, it is simple.
Poker may seem like a game of luck on the surface. But in reality, it is all about reading your opponent, and getting them to misread you. Whether by bluffing, pretending to bluff, giving false “tells,” or reading their “tells”, the goal is to predict what your opponent will do, and then formulate a strategy to stop them. Does that sound familiar?
If you are a chess player, it should. There is the old saying that goes “The chess master thinks several moves ahead.” The idea is that, in order to win at chess, you must be able to make each move, with at least an idea of how the next one will go. That means, not just planning your moves, but predicting what your opponent will do.

Chess and Poker: The Players

With the similarities we’ve discussed, you may already have gathered that chess and poker share a fan base, at least to an extent. What is interesting is that, chess players tend to be drawn to poker, but the same isn’t necessarily true in reverse. What do we mean by that? Let us explain.
People who start out playing chess, and then develop an interest in gambling, tend to make a beeline for the poker table. The strategy, mind games, and skill-based gameplay is obviously something they have experience with. So, adjusting to the game for them is easy.
However, poker players don’t usually seek out games like chess. Of course, plenty of people who started out playing poker, get into chess. But, there doesn’t seem to be the same attraction. Why that is, we can’t say. Perhaps it is chess’ reputation as a “classy” game, or perhaps pro poker players are just too busy honing their poker skills. Whatever the case may be, poker seems to draw in more chess players, than vice versa.

Chess and Poker: The Online Culture

Finally, we would be remised if we did not discuss the online gaming culture that has formed around both chess and poker. We already briefly discussed online casinos. However, poker’s popularity extends far beyond just an online casino. There are entire websites dedicated to the game. Not just ones where you can play, but also ones that explain strategies, give user guides, beginner tutorials, and more.
Not to mention, online poker tournaments where you can play for real money, that are actually considered for the world ranking. Indeed, there are quite a lot of top ranking poker players today, who’ve never stepped foot inside a casino.
Chess also has a vibrant online culture. People from all over the world register on websites where you can play chess for absolutely free. If you want your name immortalized, you can join an online tournament, the winner of which will be named on the website. From classic chess, to speed chess, and many other options in between, the online chess culture is continuously growing, and has been doing so for the past half-a-decade.

Final Thoughts

Chess and poker may not seem similar on the surface. In fact, they are not even in the same genre of gaming. And yet, they seem to attract similar, if not the same people. They are both games that require a lot of strategy, forethought, and skill, so it isn’t much of a surprise that similar people are drawn to these games. We hope this article has helped you better understand both chess and poker. On top of that, if you are a fan of either of these games, we hope you are inspired to give the other one a shot.