Jeff Haney on poker pros’ easy relationship with high-stakes golf and the added intrigue of the ‘choke factor’ on the course

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 | 7:18 a.m.

In his classic 1975 book "Fast Company," Jon Bradshaw recounts the high-stakes golf exploits of old-time Las Vegas poker players such as Pug Pearson, who maintained it was crucial to know the "chokin' points" of his opponents on the golf course.

Defined by Pearson, chokin' points are the betting limits at which "they begin to cut their own throats," or become so nervous about the money riding on the cash wager that their golf skills forsake them.

Similarly, in their biography of poker great Stu Ungar, "One of a Kind," Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson chronicle golf matches at the Las Vegas Country Club in which Ungar, Jack Straus and Doyle Brunson competed for stakes of $20,000 a hole and up.

High-stakes golf games have long been intertwined with the professional poker scene in Las Vegas, but the link between the two goes beyond a mere history lesson. The tradition is alive and well.

A foursome made up of modern-day poker stars Erick Lindgren, Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Smith and Shawn Sheikhan recently recorded a round of golf in which nearly $500,000 was wagered throughout the day.

Hole-by-hole highlights of the match at Canyon Gate Country Club, divided into 18 segments, are available on the Internet video site RawVegas.tv.

The decision to have cameras chronicle the match, and the betting madness that accompanied it, was an easy one, Lindgren said.

"We're out there on the golf course basically every day anyway," Lindgren said. "A lot of funny stuff happens when we're out there, and we thought it would be fun to film it. They brought the cameras out, and we had some fun."

A standout athlete growing up in rural Northern California, Lindgren has the most natural talent of the four competitors.

But athletic ability does not necessarily translate into winning bets on the course, Lindgren said, sounding a bit like Pearson with his philosophy on chokin' points.

"There's no doubt about it - the coolest part of gambling on golf is the choke factor," Lindgren said. "Will the guy make the putt when it's for the big money? Chipping becomes tough. A lot of things you take for granted when you're just out there playing for fun become a lot tougher when you're playing for money. I think that is definitely the best aspect of it."

Even accomplished poker players such as Lindgren, Negreanu, Smith and Sheikhan, with 15 World Poker Tour final table appearances among them, find a unique set of challenges on the golf course.

Because it's Las Vegas, and because of their gambling mentality, wagering big money - some would say outrageous figures - on the outcome of individual holes as well as matches comes naturally to poker pros.

"As poker players, we love the transition into golf because it is something that we've all choked at," Lindgren said. "You can't hide it. At the poker table we're just using our minds, but here you use your body as well. Golf is the best balance of the two.

"I think everybody from Doyle Brunson on down is out there gambling on the golf course."

For Lindgren, two moments from the Canyon Gate game stand out.

The first was a perfect chip he made on the 13th hole that the camera crew missed, having moved on to the next hole.

The second was a late meltdown by Smith, who had to be restrained from destroying his clubs.

"Obviously Gavin blowing up on the 18th hole was a highlight," Lindgren said. "You love to see a buddy break down like that because it means you made money."

Another high-stakes match is scheduled to be recorded early next year, said Lindgren, well aware he and his poker colleagues are adding a new chapter to Las Vegas lore.

"The old stories are great, but you don't have to read up on the history of someone like Doyle Brunson," Lindgren said. "You can just meet him out on the golf course any of the 30 to 40 straight days he played last summer. He was out there gambling every day.

"There was a day last year I was out on the course gambling with Doyle and Chip Reese and Barry Greenstein, and Daniel was in the group. I was just looking around and thinking, 'It's history meets the present.' "