How interchangeable are chess masters and poker champions?

Do you think that the qualities that would make someone a champion world class poker player would tend to make them a great chess player (once they learned the game of chess), and vice versa for a chess master?

Elaborate and defend your answer.

ilikepumpkins.

I guess I'm not so far off base.  But thanks for the the support... :-)

Chess and Poker

http://chess.about.com/od/chesscommunities/a/Chess-And-Poker.htm

In recent years, there has been a steady stream of chess players that have taken up poker as a way to make to make some additional income. Many of these players have been quite successful in the world of poker, such as former chess prodigy Jeff Sarwer, who has made the final table at events on the European Poker Tour and at the World Series of Poker.

What exactly is it that makes good poker players out of those who play chess? At a glance, it may seem like the two games have very little in common; however, in actuality, they share several important similarities that make chess players ideally suited to player poker.

The Right Frame of Mind

Chess players, by and large, understand the work it takes to become successful at such a complex game. Chess players frequently read chess books , keep up to date on the latest theory, and spend time analyzing their games with other players - especially with stronger players, or with the aid of computer programs.

Casual fans of poker might read that last paragraph and feel as though that's an entirely different world than the one poker players live in. And as recently as a decade or two ago, they might have mostly been right. While poker books have been popular since Doyle Brunson released Super System in the 1970s, that was about the extent the most people knew that "studying" poker was possible (at least, outside of the elite group of professional players).

Today, however, poker players put in nearly as much time and effort to perfecting their craft as any good chess player would. Hand analysis is a key component of poker study; on many forums devoted to poker around the Internet, you can find top players debating complex ideas about the math and psychology surrounding particularly difficult decisions. Increasingly, computer programs have been used to quantify the areas of poker where math is the critical factor, such as in single-table tournaments. While poker players still rely on their instincts, there is a huge body of theoretical knowledge that has made the gap between professional and amateur players widen significantly over the last few years.