Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees: Who's the Better Poker Player?
by Bodog Poker | Feb 3 2010
The
Super Bowl XLIV hype has been all about Manning vs. Brees, and every type of angle to compare the two has been attempted. Well, here's one more angle for you to compare: Who's the better poker player? Both players have New Orleans connections, but neither has a poker bio to reference, so we'll have to look at their traits to decide which would be the better grinder.
It's not hard to imagine what player types both of them would be. Growing up in New Orleans, Manning must have had some exposure to the game. Peyton would surely play a tight style, choosing to trap opponents and pick off bluffs with medium holdings. Like he is on the field, Manning would play with a keen eye on his opponents and would be able to read situations quickly. And one luxury that
poker would provide him that he rarely has on the football field would be time. There's no blitz to worry about on the felt, and the extra time to operate would make him even more dangerous.
Manning's
poker tournament style would likely be a small ball approach, like the short-yard passes he makes all game long. He'll surely understand what play is best at every stage of the tournament, and we know he's capable of great comebacks so his short-stack game would be fearless and aggressive. The one thing to worry about would be his tendency to make a bad decision when the pressure is at its highest.
Drew Brees, on the other hand, would more resemble the young-gun type of aggressive internet player who's all about offense and speed. He'd be all about fold equity and pressure, and would have a wide variance with lots of chip movement. We know he's on a good run this year, and there's no doubt about his fearlessness to lay it on the line and make the big play. Brees would be dangerous from a big-stack situation like he's been with a lead all year. The extra chips afford him the luxury of going for the big moves without having to put it all on the line.
Brees is also less likely to make a bad move and dump his chips. He rarely makes a mistake that's too costly, and has also shown he can play from behind and won't give up when the cards don't run his way. Brees is hungry for a championship in a city that needs a championship more than any other. But if he has one thing against him it's that he's not as experienced in the big games as Manning, and he'll have to prove that he can get it done when it really matters.
It's hard to give either player an edge in the fantasy poker world. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and we know that one game is no way to decide which player is the best. It only means that one of them was the best on that day.
