From Sporting Arenas to the Felt: 10 Decorated Athletes Who Are Successful Poker Players

Excelling at one endeavor is pretty easy. But stealing the show in two or more fields is where the real work lies. Interestingly, there are quite a number of people who seem to balance the world of sports with professional poker with untold dexterity.

Not only are these people decorated athletes in their respective fields, but they double as successful poker players winning tens of thousands from the game. In this article, Kate Richardson, top sports celebrity journalist with MightyTips, introduces some popular sports stars who have also made a killing on the poker table.

Outside of their chosen sport, these athletes have been known to compete against poker royalty across the world, from Australia to the US and even Asia. Many contests are held at online casinos for Australian players with remarkable results. Not surprisingly, the best online casinos in Australia accommodate visitors from across the world, offering unique bonuses, VIP status and, of course, thousands of pokies.

Curious to know who these famous poker players are? Jump in right now to find out.

Neymar Jr. (Soccer) – Treble Winning Forward

Brazilian soccer player Neymar Jr. is one of the biggest names in the sport to play poker. The former Barcelona forward loves poker almost to a fault and even named his pet dog poker. Now playing for Santos in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Neymar became a PokerStars brand ambassador in 2015.

"Growing up and playing football everyday has made me a competitive person. When I'm not playing football, playing poker and competing against my teammates on the road or in home games with friends is one of my favorite things to do," Neymar said, expressing his involvement with poker.

Michael Phelps (Swimming) – Most Decorated Olympian of All Time

Hands down the best Olympic swimmer ever, Michael Phelps smashed expectations both in the pool and on the table. The American gold medalist started participating in poker tournaments as a teenager in high school. He also regularly takes part in the Global Poker Celebrity Challenge where he locks horns with other popular poker players.

Boris Becker (Tennis) – Six-Time Grand Slam Champion

Since retiring from the tennis court many years ago, Boris Becker has made a living from playing professional poker and being a pitchman for PokerStars. Boris is also an ambassador for partypoker, an online platform for poker lovers. With notable appearances in the World Poker Tour and the European Poker Tour, Boris’ earning from the game is running into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Paul Pierce (Basketball) – 10x NBA All-Star

Former basketball player and 2008 NBA champion is one of the rather controversial picks on this list. But there’s no denying that Paul Pierce scored big in basketball and poker during his 19-year career and even beyond. The ex-Boston Celtics shooting guard televised or live streamed many of his poker games, despite being met with criticisms for it.

Orel Hershiser (Baseball) – 1988 World Series Champion

One of the most remarkable moments in celebrity poker came in 2008 when baseball player Orel Hershiser finished in fifth place in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. The New York-born pitcher defeated three professional poker players in a row to win $75,000.

“It’s just absolutely amazing. First you get invited, and to beat Ted, and then to beat Allen, and then to beat Freddy. I’m on a whirlwind," Hershisher said after beating Ted Forrest, Allen Cunningham and Freddy Deeb in quick succession.

Richard Seymour (NFL) – 3x Super Bowl Champion

NFL Hall of Famer Richard Seymour is another successful athlete that makes our list. After an illustrious career that spanned over a decade and saw him become one of the best defensive linemen, Seymour opted to play poker professionally. He has earned well over $750,000 in total career earnings from poker games, including two World Series of Poker events.

Colby Covington (MMA) – Former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion

In 2022, American mixed martial artist Colby Covington was one of the winners at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. Before that, Covington was a serial winner at recorded live poker tournaments. And he seems to combine his poker personality very well with the UFC. He currently ranks as number 10 in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Phil Kessel (Hockey) – Three-Time Stanley Cup Champion

Phil the Thrill, as he was sometimes called, was born to a sporting family. But that’s not his only family legacy. Kessel was also taught to play poker by his father. The former NHL player loves Pot-limit Omaha and Texas Hold’em. He has played in every World Series of Poker (WSOP) tourney annually since 2012.

MS Dhoni (Cricket) – 2011 Cricket World Cup Winner

Arguably the greatest captain in ODI cricket, MS Dhoni has always been a serial winner with India. Thanks to poker, he was able to play more than just cricket for his country. Dhoni was a brand ambassador of PokerStars India and even featured in the I’m In campaign back in 2020. The wicket-keeper has been known to play poker in his free time.

Ryan Garcia (Boxing) – WBC Interim Lightweight Champion

Our last famous poker player is a professional boxer who started boxing at age 7. Now at age 27, Ryan Garcia perfects his craft in boxing and poker all at the same time. He has featured in a poker night video with Neymar Jr. and Jimmy Butler. In the video, Ryan was seen flexing muscles and

Final Words: Why Many Sports Celebrities Thrive at Poker

This list spotlighted some of the most famous poker players who coincidentally have excelled at their chosen sport. However, not all of it is down to luck. There are reasons why top sportspersons are better primed to succeed in poker. First, athletes have a competitive spirit that makes them mentally fit for games like poker.

Also, as celebrities, these stars get invited to poker circuits and this gives them the opportunity to play or learn poker at a high level. Still, it requires some level of dedication and skill to enjoy the best of both worlds and there can be no denying that these guys are the best at what they do.

The article was provided by Kate Richardson