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Top Sports Stars Who Also Play Poker

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Today’s top sports stars are always in the public eye, being watched closely as they go about their lives.

They live through the highs of their game, adored by a watching crowd, then have the focus of the media glare turned on them whenever they’re out and about. For many, it is a high-octane existence fueled by success, recognition, and constant exposure.

They often can’t do the same as you or me when they wish to let off steam. Could Alex Rodriguez really go down to his local park and throw a ball with some friends without attention? Probably not; he might have to settle for doing so on a video game. If he did, would it satisfy the craving for adrenalin that he got from playing live baseball? Again, probably not.

That’s why you often find major sports stars turning to poker in their spare time, which A-Rod did. With plenty of disposable income, they’re perfectly suited to high-stakes games that put them in the sort of intense pressure situations they’re used to on the sports field. Poker is easy to learn; once you understand the hand rankings and different poker terms, you’re away, which means athletes from all backgrounds can quickly adopt the game as a hobby. That’s exactly what these stars have done, some with significant success.

Chris Paul



Credit: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, Chris Paul (31585840292)CC BY-SA 2.0

Chris Paul is an 11-time NBA All-Star and is still playing at the age of 36. He’s currently playing top-level basketball with the Phoenix Suns and has also appeared for the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, and Thunder. He’s also known as a keen poker player, who even earned the praise of one of the best. Phil Hellmuth, a 15-time WSOP bracelet winner, said of Paul: “I think Chris Paul plays pretty well. Athletes are the main competitors. They are warriors, and poker is the best sport to compete in.”

Neymar



Credit: Antoine DellenbachNeymar Jr PresentationCC BY-SA 2.0

Soccer star Neymar Jr. still holds the record for being the world’s most expensive player when he moved from Barcelona to Paris St Germain for the equivalent of $260m. He’s twice gambled on his future with big moves, leaving Santos in his native Brazil for Spain before trading Barcelona for Paris. He’s also a keen poker player and has stated his desire to return to the tables in a professional capacity when his playing career finishes.

Fatima Moreira de Melo



Credit: World Poker Tour, Fatima Moreira de Melo 2015CC BY 3.0

Here’s an athlete you might not have heard of but who has made the transition from field to felt with consummate ease. In 2008, de Melo won Olympic gold with the Dutch hockey team, having won Bronze in 2008 and silver in 2004. She later earned a sponsorship deal to play poker professionally and has racked up career earnings of more than $400,000 to date.

Tony Parker


Credit: Keith Allison, Tony parker spurs vs wizardsCC BY-SA 2.0

The former San Antonio Spurs man knows all about performing under pressure – he is a four-time NBA Champion and a six-time All-Star. He retired in 2019, boasting a record that ranked him fifth in career playoff assists and ninth in career playoff scoring. Leaving that level of performance and adulation behind can’t have been easy, but he hopes to replicate that at the 2021 WSOP, for which he was one of the first qualifiers.

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