TVSquad

It was inevitable: the stereotype of the poker player is being tested on another reality show. First there was Jean-Robert on Survivor. More recently America watched Annie Duke shrewdly translate her poker prowess as business savvy on the Celebrity Apprentice.

Now rumors are flying in that two poker players will be on The Amazing Race. Poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle have been spotted around LAX's airport ready to race around the world. What is it about poker players that are so appealing? Can the ability to bluff succeed with foreigners?

I understand why a poker player would be on a show like Survivor, the Apprentice, or even Big Brother: they make a living out of reading people's faces. From my experience with poker, it's never about what cards you have, it's all about how you play the cards. Annie Duke did well because she was aggressive, she was willing to use her clout to get money. On the race the most one could read is if a contestant lied about getting a clue or whatnot. You would have to accomplish the same task anyway no matter what the other person said.

Luck is the biggest factor for The Amazing Race. Sure, language skills, the ability to read a map, and an iron stomach are helpful, but everyone gets equalized out by taxis, airport bunching, and hours of operation. Does a poker player have better (or more) luck than an average person? Kenny Rogers did teach us that knowing when to walk away from a hand is important, maybe the two will know how to deal with detours.

I'm happy to see that the show attempted two female poker players. I'm more excited to find out that the two are actual friends. After watching clips of Tiffany on the poker scene, she's clearly going to have killer fatigue and be dramatic. Let's hope Maria can calm her down. Sounds like Jamie and Cara all over again.

Let's hope that the two do well enough that we hear the term "Ho-Chips," the nickname they made for themselves. The pairing of poker players is a breath of fresh air from another set of Cheerleaders, Beauty Queens (though I hear Tiffany was once part of the beauty queen scene), Heiresses, and Blonds. After seeing Mel and Mike on the race, and Taj on Survivor: Tocantins, I don't mind quasi-celebrities playing, as long as they work equally as hard as all the other contestants. What do you think about poker players on reality TV? Leave comments below.