Gambling has long been part of our lives and firmly entrenched in it. Today, a huge number of people around the world choose uk no deposit free chips as recreation and entertainment. In the whole mass of people who adore gambling, there are also players. They also love to do spins and win prizes. In this case, it is poker that has received special love. This is the most popular and loved by many gamblers.
Poker is one of the oldest card games. It is known that it originated about 450 years ago in Europe and quickly gained popularity all over the world. To date, there are many varieties of poker. Some of them have official tournaments with high prizes, while others are popular only at home.
What is known about poker?
Recently poker has been closely intertwined with soccer. With each year this card game lures more and more players. And this phenomenon can be explained. Even though soccer and poker are two very different games, they have a lot in common. The excitement, the thrill, and the intensity of the tournaments remind the players of their native activity. In addition, poker is a test of a person’s psychological endurance, and tactics are also important here, something the card game also resembles soccer.
Soccer players have different attitudes to poker. Most play for their pleasure, to pass the time with friends. But some are successful among professional players, win prestigious tournaments, and even consider plunging into poker after their sports career.
Gerard Piquet: Football poker star
The Spaniard has a remarkable intelligence, which he skillfully applies not only on the soccer field but also at the poker table. Gerard Pique won his first prize money (around 50,000 euros) back in 2011 at a tournament in Barcelona. Since then, the total win of the defender of Barcelona has increased to half a million euros.
At first, poker in best minimal deposit casinos was an opportunity for Gerard Pique to take a break from soccer and relieve stress. But over time it has grown into a real passion. The Barcelona footballer is a frequent participant in World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments. Gerard Pique made his big score late last year on the Barcelona leg of the European Poker Tour (EPT). The Spaniard made it to the final table with fellow Barcelona player Arturo Vidal. Even though Shakira’s sweetheart lost in the final bout to the famous Spanish poker player Juan Pardo, the family budget of the star couple was filled with 353 thousand euros. Agreed, that’s a lot of money, even for Pike.
Tony Cascarino: The most successful poker player
Among famous footballers, both former and current, there is perhaps no more successful poker player than Toni Cascarino. The forward left a big mark in the history of Gillingham, Millwall, and Nancy played for Chelsea, Celtic, and Marseille, and played 88 caps for Ireland in two World Cups.
Even when he was a footballer in Cascarino awakened an unhealthy love for gambling. Only over time, several years after his career ended, did Tony manage to convert it into a stable income. The Irishman’s first success came in 2007 when he won $44,000 at the EPT London. A year later, Cascarino was one of the winners of the Grosvenor United Kingdom tournament. At Bolton, Tony won $96,000.
Cascarino’s biggest poker success was winning the Grosvenor United Kingdom. In November 2009, the Irishman won first place, making him $293,000 richer. Overall, in his career as a poker player, the Irishman has won almost $600,000.
Ronaldo: skipped the Ballon d’Or ceremony for a poker tournament
“Phenomenon” became one of the first soccer stars who began to popularize poker among soccer fans. In 2013, the legendary Brazilian signed a contract with PokerStars. Many were sure that Ronaldo will become just the face of the poker room, and his name will only be used to promote the brand. But it happened otherwise.
Two-time world champion plunged into the card game, began to learn different strategies of the game, listening to the advice of professional poker players. Ronaldo admitted that he fell in love with poker back in 1999 when he played for Inter Milan. “We used to play in the hotel when we were waiting for a match. Since then, I haven’t moved to play. When I have free time, I often sit down at the computer and play online poker,” the Brazilian noted.
Today, Ronaldo can safely call himself a professional poker player. Behind his shoulders two-time winner of the “Golden Ball” dozens of offline tournaments. Frankly speaking, the Brazilian has not achieved much success, but he still has something to brag about. In 2015, Ronaldo won just over $42,000 (ranked 26th) at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament in the Bahamas. For the sake of participation in the PCA, the Brazilian even refused to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony, and this speaks more eloquently than any words about the ex-football player’s passion for poker.
Final Thoughts
Gambling is a part of many people’s lives today. Such games give a sense of joy and happiness. They allow you to forget about your problems, have a good time and relax. For this reason, it is not at all surprising that many players also like to play them.
