Chess And Poker Blitz With Jen Shahade

I often get asked whether I enjoy poker or chess more -- my choice is obviously to play both at the same time. As a member of Team PokerStars, I'm really excited that they have incorporated poker and chess mixed events into upcoming tour stops in New Jersey, Malta and Prague.

To model the same frenzied combination, I fired up simultaneous Spin 'N' Gos (three-player, winner-take-all poker tournaments) on PokerStarsNJ and bullet games here on Chess.com. I started out with one-minute games, but that didn't go so well...three minute games seem like a better fit for now.

I enjoyed the action and will be looking for more at the combined event in Atlantic City on November 6. 

The chess/poker mixed live event concept, which I introduced first in conjunction with the Isle of Man Chess International in 2014, starts out with five quick chess games. For each game, you get 2,000 extra chips to use for the poker tournament. Even if you bomb the chess, you start with some “default” chips in the poker.

In the upcoming PokerStars Festival in NJ, you start with a minimum of 10,000 chips in the poker tournament, so a chess player who wins all his games will have 20,000 to start the tournament, while a player who won two and lost three will start with 14,000.

I plan to make more of these videos soon! Till then, try to solve this position (Black to move and mate in two), composed by Grandmaster Pal Benko, in the shape of a poker spade.