Paul Pierce hones his hard court game on the WSOP felt

While most NBA players spend the summer months sharpening their skills in Drew League or Goodman League games, Paul Pierce takes a different, decidedly mental approach. For the past couple of years, he’s traded basketball’s hard court for a felt-covered poker table.

Sitting across the table from a legend like Phil Ivey at the World Series of Poker, can be every bit as challenging as matching up with LeBron James in the NBA Playoffs.

''It helps me on the basketball court, to be more patient and to be more of a thinking player and to be smarter out there.''

— Paul Pierce, on the side benefits of playing poker

This year’s WSOP got off to a rough start for the Nets’ free agent. Pierce lost half his stack of chips on his first hand, before he systematically battled his way back. At last year’s event, Pierce made it through to the second day of competition before being eliminated.