Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world. Why do millions of people worldwide enjoy playing this game? Well, it is fun and friendly, and you can enjoy it in the privacy of your home. Furthermore, the advent of online poker has made the game even more famous around the globe. Studies have shown that around 7 million people play poker online real money games at least once each month. Some players are professional, while others are just having fun!
Over the years, known athletes have participated in poker games. This article looks at some famous athletes who are also poker stars.
Gerard Pique
Pique recently retired from his illustrious football career. Until his retirement, he had established himself as one of the best defenders in the world, having represented his club and country at the highest level.
However, his aptitude for winning did not stop at the football pitch. Pique was among the leaders in the Annual WSOP Main Event. The former Spanish defender won $56k after finishing third in a game held at the EPT Barcelona in 2011.
Paul Pierce
Pierce is an NBA legend that has achieved a lot in the sport. For example, he was 2008’s Most Valuable Player in the NBA finals. He is also among the three players who scored over 20,000 career points with the Boston Celtics.
Since he retired, he did not stop playing high stakes. Pierce is known for the Pot-Omaha games he enjoys in Vegas. He made it to the semi-deep of the Main Event in an attempt to win $10 million. While he did not win it, he made it to Day 3.
Fatima Moreira de Melo
Moreira is a former Olympic Dutch field hockey star and is regarded as one of the most successful former athletes thriving in poker. She has earned over $550000 in tournament earnings. Recently, she was signed as the Team Pro of PokerStars, one of the biggest online poker sites globally.
Tony Cascarino
Cascarino is a professional footballer who won two World Cups. However, he also excelled as a semi-professional poker player. He has continued to grow as a poker player since he won the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Grand Final.
Even though he was the short stack, Cascarino captured the title after hitting runner hearts holding ace-two of hearts on a T-J-8 vs. the T-9 hearts that his opponent had.
Richard Seymor
Seymor was successful as an athlete, having won three Super Bowl rings in his 12-year NFL career with the New England Patriots. After hanging his boots, he became a regular fixture at most high-roller poker events worldwide.
He had his best run in July 2019 at the WSOP Main Event. Seymor cashed in at 131st place for $59295 after finishing in the 100-162 range.
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima
Ronaldo is a PokerStars favorite after he signed to become one of their sports stars after causing shockwaves in the poker world. After his successful football career, Ronaldo formed a friendship with poker professional Andre Akkari, who helped him develop an interest in poker. Ronaldo surprised everyone after his deep run in the 2015 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure after finishing 26th for a $42180 payout.
