Poker captivates millions worldwide, including numerous celebrities and athletes. Some have even achieved remarkable success at the poker tables.
Let’s take a look at 10 athletes who play poker professionally, including esports and mental athletes! You’ll be impressed at how smoothly some of these stars transitioned to the highest levels of poker.
Neymar Jr.
The Brazilian football sensation plans to pursue poker professionally after retiring from soccer. In 2015, Neymar became a PokerStars ambassador, showcasing his passion for the game. While his live tournament winnings are modest at $32,131 as of July 2024, Neymar has found more success online, reaching Stars final tables in major series. He often runs into other famous PokerStars players, like Lex Veldhuis.
Neymar's most significant contribution to poker is popularizing the game in Brazil. His enthusiasm inspired hundreds of thousands of Brazilians to try their hand at playing poker. Many newcomers gained their first experience through freerolls, which are free-to-enter tournaments offering real money prizes.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly shortened to Ronaldo, is a two-time Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup champion. The star from Brazil began dabbling more in poker after his football career and picked up several wins. Ronaldo has amassed $45,760 in poker winnings and worked with PokerStars for several years, temporarily left, then returned in 2022.
Unfortunately, Ronaldo’s HendonMob hasn’t shown much activity since his early wins in 2015 and 2016. He’s heavily focused on business interests and recently sold his stake in Cruzeiro, where he began his journey in football.
Michael Phelps
The 23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer has shown prowess at the poker tables. In 2012, Phelps won over $100,000 at Caesars Palace casino. While he prefers cash games, making it challenging to assess his overall skill level, Phelps has earned $11,401 in live tournaments.
His first hands of poker came during high school, but he continued to play as his athletic journey continued. In 2023, he competed against DJ Khaled in a $10,000 charity heads-up match.
Phelps said that he had the misfortune of Vanessa Selbst on his left during a WSOP event, saying that he had “never felt so lost at a poker table.”
Boris Becker
The German tennis legend embraced poker even before retiring from tennis. Although Becker never won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet or World Poker Tour (WPT) title, he actively promoted the game. Becker represented PokerStars, partypoker, and GGPoker at various times. His career poker earnings total $111,416, with his best finish being 40th place in a WPT event, earning him $40,855.
Since placing 13th place in the £5,000 No Limit Hold'em Devilfish Cup in 2016, Boris Becker’s Hendon Mob hasn’t been updated. However, he’s been on televised high-stakes cash games tables recently and likely plays privately too.
Gerard Pique
The former Barcelona and Spanish national team defender has enjoyed success in poker tournaments. His total career earnings in poker amount to $738,611. In 2023, he took home €65,000 from the EPT Barcelona for 6th place in a high-roller event.
"I love to compete in many situations and like to compete against the best players in anything, in this case, poker,” he once told reporters.
In 2019, Pique finished second at a European Poker Tour (EPT) event, winning €352,950. He was joined during the event by Arturo Vidal, his teammate at the time.
Tony Cascarino
After his football career, Cascarino found success in poker. As he put it, “we have so much time on our hands when we finish,” and poker provides an opportunity for growth, skillful play, and money. His most notable victory came at a Grosvenor UK Poker Tour event, where he won $283,412. Cascarino's total poker earnings stand at a respectable $595,809.
Since 2019, Tony Cascarino’s Hendon Mob hasn’t shown much activity. That year, he placed 18th in the Mini Main of the UK Poker Tour event in London. Now over 60, it seems that the football legend may be playing in fewer high-profile events.
Andrey Arshavin
The former player for Zenit, Arsenal, and the Russian national team has openly expressed his love for the game. In 2009, Arshavin partnered with PokerStars for a charity event. The winners of the online satellites were able to take the trip to London. Andrey Arshavin ended up donating his fee to an orphanage in a noble display.
Alexander Bukharov
Bukharov has shown promise in online poker. In 2011, the footballer reached the final table of the Sunday Million on PokerStars, earning $48,000. In 2020, Alexander competed in three different WSOP Online events, all held on GGPoker. He cashed in each one, but his best performance was 29th place in the $500 Mini Main Event, taking $14,620.
However, some experts attribute Bukharov's decline in football performance to his passion for gambling.
Ivan Demidov
Not all athletes break a sweat during competition and esports athletes are also included on this list. Before his poker success, Ivan Demidov competed in Starcraft, Warcraft 3, and Age of Empires.
In 2008, he finished second in the WSOP Main Event, winning $5,809,595. A few months later in the WSOP’s London series, he won another $608,995 for a 3rd place finish. In Russia, he’s currently 5th on the All Time Money List.
Demidov's achievement inspired many Russian players to take up poker. You might not know that this success also was one of the main catalysts for GipsyTeam, launching our international poker brand.
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier
Before transitioning to poker, ElkY was a top esports competitor. He placed second in the 2001 StarCraft World Championship and fourth in the 2002 Warcraft 3 World Championship. Grospellier's poker career has been even more impressive, with total earnings of $15,400,307. His best result is a second-place finish in a WSOP High Roller event, earning him $2,278,657.
His sponsorship with PokerStars was long-running, but ElkY eventually made the switch to GGPoker at Daniel Negreanu’s side.
Getting Started in Online Poker
To begin playing poker, you don't need to be a sports star or have a multi-million dollar bankroll. Start by choosing a reputable poker room and playing against real opponents. Many reliable sites offer bonuses and freerolls for new players.
When selecting a poker room, consider factors such as promotions, software quality, rake, payment methods, loyalty programs, and licensing. Reading reviews from current and former players can provide valuable insights into traffic levels, payment processing speed, and the overall playing experience.
- Increased first deposit bonus
- Increased rakeback and reloads
- Help with deposits and cashouts
- Access to private freerolls
- Round-the-clock support