While it’s common knowledge that tennis players such as Rafael Nadal and Jimmy Connors are superstars, few people realize that they have another skill: gambling. Tennis players such as these two know how to get the most out of their gambling time, whether it be an online casino or a Vegas trip. Actually, there are many more tennis players who find gambling intriguing, relaxing, and fun, and some have even become professional gamblers. The following are some of them:
- Boris Becker
- Rafael Nadal
- Jimmy Connors
- Patrik Antonius
- Gus Hansen
- David Benyamine
Boris Becker: A True Poker Fan
Boris Becker, born in Leimen, Germany, is a former world No. 1 tennis player who won six Grand Slam singles titles in the 1980s. He coached Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic (the current world number one on the ATP list) for three years as of 2013. And the thing you might not guess, he loves to play poker to feel the adrenaline rush from time to time. During the COVID-19 pandemic of April 2020, Becker once again turned to poker. On his official Twitter account, he posted a 30-second video clip where he said he was playing online poker. Online poker is available at numerous NZ casino sites reviewed by TerraCasino website. Apart from online poker, these sites offer other table games like roulette and blackjack and a variety of slots.
Becker was PokerStars ambassador and also signed with PartyPoker in December 2016. The total prize money Becker won during his live poker career was $111,416.
Rafael Nadal: Beginners Luck or Real Gambling Talent?
Rafael Nadal is a Spanish professional tennis player who has been ranked world No. 1 on the ATP list for 209 weeks. He has won 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and 14 French Open titles. And he has yet another passion: poker.
Nadal started playing poker with friends at home in Mallorca, where he lives with his family during the offseason. His gambling talents and competitive edge were revealed when he staked €10 on a contest and beat 47 online opponents to win the prize pool of €152.40. Anyone can try a $10 deposit casino site and win when playing games of chance, but rookies like Nadal rarely have the skills to win over almost 50 other people.
Nadal even compares poker to tennis, saying that one has to stay focused until the end in both when playing because if you lose focus, your rivals might be able to gain an advantage.
Jimmy Connors: Betting on Himself
Connors is a former world No. 1 tennis player from the United States. He has eight major singles titles and 17 Grand Prix Super Series titles. Connors won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1982 and was named ATP Player of The Year and ITF World Champion in the same year.
Many tennis fans were surprised to learn from Connors’ autobiography, The Outsider, that this famous tennis player was an avid gambler throughout his career. He spent millions in casinos worldwide and even admitted to betting on himself–a practice known as “the match-fixing.” He loved gambling as much as he loved playing tennis. In the 1992 Battle of the Sexes, Connors bet $1 million on himself to win his match against Martina Navratilova — which he almost lost, according to CBS Sports.
Patrik Antonius: From Tennis to Professional Poker
Patrik Antonius is a Finnish professional poker player and former professional tennis player. He was a member of Marcel Lüske’s “Circle of Outlaws”, where he was mentored by Lüske himself. In early 2005, he finished near the final table of two European Poker Tour (EPT) and World Poker Tour (WPT) events. At the EPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in early 2005, he finished 12th, and a few months later, at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars, he finished 15th.
The biggest prize pools he won in tournaments were $1,696,483 in 2005, $1,945,241 in 2012, and over $5 million dollars in 2018! One of the most recent tournaments he has won is a 2022 Triton Poker $25000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $825,000 dollars.
David Benyamine: Long-time Player
David Benyamine is a former tennis player and a professional poker player who holds one World Poker Tour title as well as four WSOP final tables. He began his career at Aviation Club de France playing No Limit Hold ‘Em cash games, later moving on to play high-stakes poker cash games regularly.
Benyamine learned the game at an early age (around 12 years old) and managed to be a regular in Bobby’s Room at Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, which is known as the world’s most famous high-stakes cash room and has hosted some of the biggest names in poker including Gus Hansen, Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey among others.
Gus Hansen: WSOP Bracelet Winner
Gus Hansen is a professional poker player from Denmark. In 1997 he turned professional and has since won one WSOP bracelet, Aussie Millions main event and three World Poker Tours. In season one of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament (PSIT), he managed to end up victorious thanks to his incredible talent.
In addition, Hansen is often invited to compete in the Bellagio Casino’s Big Game in “Bobby’s Room”. He competes alongside other high-profile players such as Daniel Negreanu, who have been known throughout their careers as being some of the best live cash game players ever seen. It’s reported that Hansen’s losses in live cash games have caused him money problems despite his ongoing success.
Conclusion
There is a long tradition of tennis players playing poker, but this is not the only casino game that they like. They also enjoy other games, such as blackjack and roulette. The reason for this could be that many tennis players have a lot of free time on their hands after tournaments are over and before the next one starts up again.
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