Black Jacket Required - Bluff Australia's profile on Gary Benson

As we all know, Poker has taken off in Australia. I play it, my mates play it, everyone's playing it.It is possibly even hurting chess a bit. But could chess gain some players from the Poker playing arena? I know that Parramatta Chess Club have gained at least one member from the poker ranks when Shane Burgess and a few other Parramatta Chess Club members took to their local Poker competition with a chess board or two and at Campbelltown Collegians chess club we have had one enquiry from a poker player willing to give up a nights poker for chess.

Chess got some good publicity in the recent issue of Bluff Australasia with a profile on Gary Benson.

In 1970, aged just 13, Benson started plaing competitive chess and joined the
Correspondence chess league of Australia. In 2003, he became the australian
champion and 12 months later, he was awarded the International Master title for
Correspondence chess in 2004, and later earned the Senior International Master
title.

As for his Poker milestones: Played in First Australian Poker Championship played in Adelaide in 1987 and has played in every major tournament in Australasia since then. Gary Benson took out the 7 card Championships in 1989. Benson became the first Australian born player to win a WSOP Bracelet, less than 12 months after quitting his partnership in an accounting firm. The gold bracelet was won in the seven card Stud title in 1996. Benson became Australian Champion in 1997 and again in 2001.

A full profile on Bensons Poker career can be found in the March/April 2007 edition of Australasian Bluff Magazine.

Anyhow back to Chess. What Conclusions can we draw from this article. Perhaps that because Poker players are so fixated about their game over the table they do not have time to go to a chess club. Perhaps the Correspondence Chess League of Australia should attempt to get more members by chucking in an ad every now and again in the Bluff Magazine? Other peoples comments are welcome!