In a fantasy world of Pokerball, your favorite football quarterbacks take on the best there are in the game of poker.
Can you imagine two quintessential players such as Johnny Unitas taking on the one and only Doyle Brunson? It would be an utter smack down of epic proportions; a sporting event that you could only dream of in a weird world where Pokerball is real.
What would this world have to say about a top 3-on-3 matchup of football’s best against poker’s best?
Here is a run down with some interesting predictions for you to mull over.
Oldies but Goodies
Johnny Unitas is pretty much guaranteed the number one spot on anyone’s 10 best quarterbacks of all-time list, and would probably be number one on some all-around best player lists as well.
Unitas put up some amazing stats in the NFL at a time when there were only 14 games in a season, and also held the longest game streak for at least a touchdown pass for over 50 years. Known as the marquee quarterback to emulate for the next 30 years in the NFL, his name will always be associated with “the Greatest Game Ever Played.”
Doyle Brunson is no slouch in the sports arena himself, once posting a running time of just 4:43 seconds in a Texas one mile event. Scouted and offered a chance to play basketball in college, a freak accident broke his leg, so he turned to 5 Card Stud and began his professional poker career.
He is now considered the “Godfather of Poker” for his back to back WSOP wins in 1976 and 1977, as well as a groundbreaking career in the game. A consistent cash game winner and tournament star, and 10-time WSOP bracelet winner, Brunson’s life-time tournament winnings of over $6 million puts him in a class all his own.
Pokerball Decision: In this match-up, it’s easy to see that Doyle edges Johnny just ever so slightly. More money, close to as much fame and still playing the game he loves makes him the winner.
The New Recruits
Tom Brady is probably the most prolific NFL quarterback in recent history. No matter his individual skill, winning the Super Bowl three times and running the table of 16 games (the first quarterback ever to do so in the new 16 game system in a season) is not an easy feat.
Kid Poker, aka Daniel Negreanu, started playing poker at 15 and has since become the highest grossing tournament winner of all time with nearly $30 million in wins.
As a player that knows and has won at multiple types of poker games, he realizes it’s all in knowing the differences in those games, understanding their rules and strategies, and getting practice playing them all on a consistent basis, both live and online.
Pokerball Decision: Brady handily punts the Kid for a field goal to win.
Setting a New Standard
There’s always a tossup: Johnny U or Joe Montana.
Joe Montana tops almost everybody’s list as the best quarterback since 1980, and he has the Super Bowl wins to back that up.
With four Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVPs, the absolute best post-season record and the best quarterback passing rating in a Super Bowl — it’s hard to argue with that.
Phil Hellmuth, aka The Poker Brat, may not be as well liked as Joe Montana, but what he did for the game of poker rivals what Johnny U did for football.
In 1989, Phil played his way to WSOP Main Event gold, becoming the youngest player to ever win the tournament and showing the old timers (and 2nd place finisher, the legendary Johnny Chan) a thing or two.
With the most WSOP cashes and final tables of any player in history, he is still a force to be reckoned with. His win in 1989 and his always-entertaining attitude have contributed greatly to making poker a thrilling game to millions of youngsters who took to the felt in the digital age.
Pokerball Decision: Joe Montana takes the main pot for pure amazing skill, while The Poker Brat steals the side pot with his antics and accolades.
