100-Year-Old Briton Calls Poker One of the Secrets to a Sharp Mind

^{Ivor at the beginning of his latest tournament (Image: Dave Nelson)}

Ivor Ward, a 100-year-old British poker player, continues to play the game and believes it is one of the reasons he has remained mentally sharp at such an advanced age. He spoke to the Daily Star during the 2026 Goliath poker tournament at Grosvenor Casino in Coventry.

Ward began playing poker in 1940, when he was 14.

Despite having nearly 90 years of experience, he continues to keep up with modern approaches to the game. He calculates probabilities, takes his position at the table into account, analyzes his opponents’ behavior and studies new poker theories and strategies.

He pays particular attention to body language. According to Ward, a sudden change in posture or an unexpected interest in a hand may indicate that an opponent is holding strong cards.

Ward believes poker helps keep the mind sharp because players have to calculate probabilities, observe their opponents and make decisions at the same time. The game also gives people an opportunity to socialize. In his view, many people stay at home after retirement, meet others less often and spend less time on activities that require mental effort.

“If you have bad luck or lose, forget about it,” he said. “The secret is learning to live with your setbacks and then putting them completely behind you.”

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