A crossover is defined as “a point or place of crossing from one side to the other.”. In betting terms it means a player who enjoys betting one form of gaming and also enjoys betting an entirely different form of gaming. For the sake of this article we will be discussing the crossover of poker playing and betting on sports.

Many online sportsbooks also offer other forms of games of chance. Whether it be poker, casino games, random lotto numbers, political wagering or sports, your online betting hub will have it all. 

I have been a sports bettor most of my adult life, going on 27 years now. I placed my first sports wager in 1997 at the ripe old age of 19. I remember the game clearly. The Bills were featuring Doug Flutie as their QB and they were facing the Panthers. I took the Bills. The wager won easily and there was no looking back. 

I also found myself in poker rooms around the same time. My mother taught me poker games like 5 card draw and 7 card and 7 card stud, complete with the wild cards. I was just a kid and we played for pennies of course. In my adult life I discovered Texas Hold Em’. I fell in love right away. This is considered by many to be the purist form of Poker where you only get two cards and must utilize “community cards”. It had me hooked. To this day, these are really the only two forms of gambling I enjoy.

So, what are the official stats on poker to sports betting crossover? I know there are probably millions of people like me who enjoy them both. Unfortunately there are no official stats available answering this question. We did find an article illustrating the fact that many famous poker players also bet big on sports. But that is all we have on the topic. Maybe one day an official entity will carry out a study on this topic. Until then, all I can say is that many sports bettors I know also play poker. In my personal life that number is probably around 75% or greater.

Scott Morris

SBA