Riding bulls and playing poker
Professional rodeo man Jesse Bail loves riding bulls and playing poker, but he’s staying away from combining the two.
When you get a packed poker table playing hands, everyone thinks they are the toughest person in the room. Maybe they made a gutsy call to bust someone out. Perhaps they made a wild over-the-top bluff to win a monster pot. Or they might have gone all in as a major underdog only to crack an opponent’s favored hand.
But if you are playing across from professional bull rider Jesse Bail, it’s fair to say that he’s the toughest son of a gun in the room. And that has nothing to do with cards. He might not be the most skilled player at the table, but the good ole boy from South Dakota is a genuine cowboy that everyone will want to have in their home game.
After roughly five years as one of professional rodeo’s most consistent riders, 2006 was a tough one on Bail. The 27-year-old, who competes in steer wrestling, bull riding, and saddle bronc riding events, broke his wrist that year and has been struggling with the injury afterwards.
Riding bulls with a cast on probably does not help his rehabilitation much, though. “It was not too bad, but I switched hands for bronc riding. I had never rode that way, it was a little tougher then,” he says. “I won a little bit, but not great. So I have been using my cast hand. I have my four fingers I can use.” Now that is why Bail is the toughest guy at the table. And his poker game is starting to come together too, so watch out.
With his Dakota twang and massive Stetson, Bail is a classic character who should have a seat waiting for him in any card room. Think of him as Doyle Brunson with a little less skill and a little more dusty trail. Instead of area rounders, you are more likely to find him playing with other riders during stops on the pro riding circuit.
Most of the time, he enjoys playing with his fellow South Dakotan riders, particularly when they have a chance to meet up in (where else?) the historic western town of Deadwood. “It’s not far. It’s a fun little town,” he says of Deadwood. “I lost most of my money gambling pretty quick there”.
