Footballers That Play Poker

Pro-footballers are a special breed. They dedicate their lives to the sport. Every day ensuring they’re in peak physical condition, training every day and focussing on beating their next opponents, so come the weekend, they are ready for the thrill of delivering in front of thousands and thousands of adoring fans.

Much like football, poker requires a burning desire. An immovable focus. And that’s why more and more top pros are turning to the green felt after retirement.

We look at some of the players who have experienced success both on the pitch, and off it.

Teddy Sheringham

What better place to start than the man who scored that dramatic late equaliser in 1999. The England legend scored 300 goals in his career and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

A poker fan since his days as a footballer, Teddy has picked up a number of big pots at tournaments. His breakthrough in the game came at the 2009 World Series of Poker where he finished 14th picking up a $65,930 prize, a year later picking up his highest earnings to date after a 5th place finish at EPT Vilamoura, collecting $133,583.

Ronaldo

Despite being new to the game, Brazilian superstar Ronaldo has recently competed in the EPT Barcelona earlier in 2013. Whilst still trying to make his mark in the game, he made more than a name for himself on the field.

With over 300 goals to his name, two World Cup’s and two Ballon d’Or’s Ronaldo has cemented himself as one of the greatest of all time.

 

Jan Vang Sorenson

A relatively unknown name on the pitch, Jan Vang Sorenson has certainly made his name off it. Suffering from a series knee injury, the former Odense BK player had to hang up his boots aged 30, instead focusing his attentions on the second most beautiful game.

Considered a seven-card stud specialist, the Dane has picked up two WSOP bracelets and seven first place finishes in his career with career earnings of over $2 million, making him easily the best poker to play football at a professional level.

Tony Cascarino

Since retiring from football, the former Chelsea, Aston Villa, Marseille and Nancy striker has picked up a series of big pots in poker tournaments. Winning the UK Poker Tour in 2009, the former Marseille striker picked up a quarter of a million dollars amongst his other many pots totalling a cool $500,000 in winnings.

During his career Cascarino was something of a journeyman, and has played all over Europe, and is still doing to this day, albeit on the velvet.

Gerard Pique

Another  former Red, Pique was one of the few major football names at the WSOP’s Annual Las Vegas Main Event. The Spanish centre-half was one of the leaders after Day 1, before crashing out on the second day.

His biggest win came in 2011, finishing third at the EPT No Limit Hold’Em in Barcelona and taking a $40,000 pot. But then again, that’s not even half a week’s wages to him.