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Pocket’s Best of 2022: Sports & Gaming

The year’s most compelling writing about athletes, fans, and the deeper meaning of the games we play.

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Read when you’ve got time to spare.

The indelible legacy of Serena Williams, the trouble with Roblox, and the many lives of a fake pro cyclist.

How A.I. Conquered Poker

Good poker players have always known that they need to maintain a balance between bluffing and playing it straight. Now they can do so perfectly.

Jason Brassard Spent His Lifetime Collecting the Rarest Video Games. Until the Heist.

The porn trilogy for Nintendos. Atari games from the 1980s. Pristine nostalgia, potentially worth millions, gone in a night.

Exposed by a Strava KOM: The Many Lives of a Fake Pro Cyclist

Australian cyclist Nick Clark built a loyal following at his Virginia bike shop, based in part on his national and international results and a lengthy professional career. There was just one problem: none of it was true.

Stone Skipping Is a Lost Art. Kurt Steiner Wants the World to Find It.

Meet an amazing man who has dedicated his entire adult life to stone skipping, sacrificing everything to produce world-record throws that defy the laws of physics. To hear him tell it, he has no choice.

‘Pickleball Is the Wild, Wild West’: Inside the Fight Over the Fastest-Growing Sport in America

There are: Too many leagues. Too many federations. Battling billionaires. Bad behavior. And the growth of a booming sport is on the line.

What Do Cities Lose When They Lose Pro Sports?

In negotiations between the Oakland Athletics and city officials over the future of the A’s in Oakland, more is on the line than just baseball.

The Second Coming of Stephen Curry

The unstoppable guard helmed one of the best offensive teams in NBA history. Two years after that dynasty fell apart, he’s willing the Warriors toward another championship run—and underlining his claim as one of the game’s all-time greats.

The Trouble With Roblox, the Video Game Empire Built on Child Labor

Young developers on the platform used by many millions of children claim they have been financially exploited, threatened with dismissal and sexually harassed.

Why Isn’t Brittney Griner the Biggest Sports Story in the Country?

One of the WNBA’s premier players has been detained in Russia for weeks, yet the reaction has been curiously muted.

Serena Williams Refused to Bend. She Bent Tennis Instead.

If she is in fact done, the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s legacy will be measured not only by the accolades and accomplishments, but also by how she reshaped the sport.

Pocket’s Top Articles of 2022

Explore the stories that defined the year, and the ones we’ll still be talking about in 2023. Plus, discover the best long reads, smart advice, and entertaining culture writing that Pocket readers loved this year.