While the pinnacle of athletics unfurls over in Milan, Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the poker community has been having its own international competition of sorts.
In a recent social media post, BetMGM Ambassador Darren Elias shared a graphic with four hypothetical national teams comprised of poker players from the United States, Canada, England, and Germany.
Team USA: Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Alex Foxen, Darren Elias
Team Canada: Daniel Negreanu, Jonathan Duhamel, Kristen Foxen, Ari Engel
Team England: Stephen Chidwick, Sam Grafton, Ben Heath, Sam Trickett
Team Germany: Fedor Holz, Christoph Vogelsang, Rainer Kempe, Koray Aldemir
Elias' question to his followers was simple: "Who's taking the gold here?"
Who makes the team?
In the replies to Elias' post, Canada's own Sam Greenwood chimed in to say that Team Canada would take the win – but only if they chose the right team. Clearly, Greenwood wasn't happy about being left off of the list, but he might have a point about the team selections in general. Are these players truly the best that each country has to offer?
Team USA is tough to argue against – but we'll give it a shot. Hellmuth should not make this team, in this writer's opinion. While his poker prowess cannot be denied, 'The Poker Brat' does not strike one as a good teammate. In this hypothetical competition, the team aspect must surely play a role and, thus, team cohesion and synergy cannot be underestimated. In his place, we'd send Jason Koon.
With Team Canada, there's similarly one weak link in the group. The idea of fielding a player – Duhamel – who hasn't cashed in a poker tournament since 2018 doesn't sit well with us and there are too many Canadian superstars to field a player whose best years may be behind him. Greenwood seems a solid choice to send in Duhamel's place. Daniel Devoress and Mike Watson are both very strong options as well.
Team England runs into the exact same problem. Three great picks and one vulnerable selection. In this instance, it's Trickett. While his skills and results speak for themselves, he hasn't played regularly (in public games) in several years. Chris Moorman could take Trickett's spot. Or Benny Glaser, whose ability across numerous variants could make him a valuable selection.
Team Germany is, without a doubt, the most well-formed team. It's nearly impossible to argue against any of these picks. Germany has a deep bench, however, and bringing in a youthful player – Leon Sturm or Leonard Maue, perhaps – could provide them with the spark they need to take home the gold.
What do you think? Do you agree with the picks as they are or would you make substitutions as well? And, if left as is, which of these teams takes the gold at the Poker Olympics?
