Olympic Hopeful Plays Poker to Get By

Poker player and potential Olympic gold medalist Jason Gunnlaugson (Photo couresty of Winnipeg Free Press)

Poker can be a lot of different things for a lot of different people. But there aren’t many that can say it’s the way they finance their Olympic dream. But Jason Gunnlaugson makes enough to live on by playing online poker, while he strives for a spot on the Canadian team going to Vancouver next year.

The worlds of poker and elite athletics may, at first glance, seem worlds apart. And at second glance too. Most would-be Olympians spend hours training every day, and all their free time at the gym, or jogging around the neighborhood at 5am. Sitting in front of a computer playing Texas Hold’Em is not necessarily the best way to hone the body and mind for athletic glory. But the normal rules don’t really apply, mostly because Gunnlaugson isn’t a hockey player or speed skater. Yes, his sport does take place on the ice, but it’s not quite as…strenuous as those other activities. Gunnlaugson’s sport of choice? Curling.

And, as you might expect, curling doesn’t exactly bring in the huge endorsement dollars. Sure, some of the guys might get a few bucks from broom companies, or the occasional free keg, but there aren’t a lot of $20 million Nike sponsorships coming their way. So Gunnlaugson plays poker while he waits for the Canadian Curling trials in December, and a potential spot on the national team that will travel to Vancouver for the Olympics.

He says he doesn’t make the big money playing poker, but views it like a job. He spends a few hours a day on the computer making what he considers a good hourly wage. That leaves him lots of time to practice down at the rink in pursuit of a gold medal.