Norman Smith
The last few seasons may have seen confidence in Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's management style drop, but when you think back to his previous successes there's no doubt his tactical brain is one of the finest in the business.
OK, so over the past few seasons he hasn't managed to inspire Arsenal to the league title, but if he were to apply his skills to any other sport that required a high level of cognition he'd do extremely well in my opinion.
For example, take the classic all American game: poker. Over the years a number of footballers have been known to grace the felt and play Texas Hold' em. In fact, Teddy Sheringham and Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) have carved out successful second careers in the poker industry since retiring from football.
Could Wenger do the same? Quite possibly. Given some of his managerial tendencies it's likely he could do quite well in the world of bets and bluffs. For arguments sake, let's breakdown some of the tactics Wenger could use at the poker table to enjoy some success. He could even try his luck online and there are plenty of places to check out where is best to play.
Money Management - There are few football managers who know how to work with less money than Mr. Wenger. Although Arsenal aren’t short of cash, the club is usually tight with its budget and that's forced Wenger to seek out emerging players who don't cost a fortune.
This ability to manage money properly and not spend more than you can afford is a crucial skill for all poker players. Because it's easy to lose a lot of money in a short space of time, a skilled player won't ever buy into a game that's too expensive. As a general rule, all players should have 100X the cost of a game in their bankroll. Just as Wenger only has a few million to spend on players each year, such as the £20 million the Daily Mirror in the UK claims he will be offered in January, so poker players only have a limited amount of funds to ante-up at the felt.
Flair - Bluffing is key component of any professional poker player's arsenal and Wenger would certainly be the man to pull off one of these moves. Throughout his career at Arsenal, Wenger has managed to inject touches of creativity and flair into his team's passing style. Like a maestro who knows when to turn on the magic just enough to get the job done, Wenger has proved that timing and flair can be a deadly combination.
This premise also holds true at the poker table and one of the reasons Wenger's tactical mind could stand him in good stead against the game's finest. By using a straightforward style for the most part, he could suddenly burst into a flurry of creativity and dupe his opponents just enough to win the pot.
Technique - If there's one thing Wenger is known for it is instilling technique into his players. Intricate passing drills, constant footwork exercises and endless games of one-touch football on the training ground have helped Arsenal sides become passing machines over the last decade.
This focus on technique and the finite details of football would certainly help the Arsenal manager succeed at the poker table. Assessing every little nuance and move would make him a tough player to play against. Of course, he's also going to need a little bit of luck if he wants to become the World Series of Poker champion, but Wenger could easily become as much of a technical wizard at the felt as he is on the sidelines.
