Among the greatest names in soccer reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr are recognized to be big followers of poker, with the latter having a busy yr on the tables. The Brazilian celebrity secured his first money on the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) in the summertime and was unveiled because the Cultural Ambassador for PokerStars 12 months in the past.
Nevertheless, regardless of being a fully-fledged member of the poker group, it might shock you to learn that Neymar does not come anyplace close to the highest in relation to soccer gamers who’ve received essentially the most cash enjoying poker.
Utilizing information collected by The Hendon Mob, the Paris St Germain ace has solely recorded $32,131 in reside match earnings; flagging behind the likes of former teammates Gerard Piqué and Arturo Vidal who recorded six-figure paydays on the 2019 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona.
So, with the World Cup underway, PokerNews has taken a deep dive by means of the poker historical past books to seek out out which soccer gamers have carried out one of the best on the felt.
David Levi – $4,134,982
David Levi
Those that have performed or adopted poker for some time would have undoubtedly heard of Israel’s David Levi. Nevertheless, what they may not know is that Levi was as soon as an expert soccer participant earlier than happening to win over $4 million on the tables.
Levi performed for Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim Soccer Membership in his native nation earlier than his profession was reduce quick by a knee damage. He then swapped the sector for the felt after transferring to Los Angeles in 2002.
Previous to his transfer to the US, Levi had some poker expertise together with his first recorded consequence coming in a $50 match in 1995. General, Levi has 429 registered cashes together with his greatest coming in 2007, the place he positioned third within the WPT $10,000 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship for $229,540.
Levi additionally has three third-place finishes beneath the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) umbrella which make up the vast majority of his $857,728 WSOP earnings.
David Levi’s Prime 3 Cashes
| Could 2007 | WPT $10,000 Mandalay Bay Poker Championship | third | $229,540 |
| June 2014 | Deepstack Extravaganza III $1,100 NLH | 1st | $183,506 |
| April 2002 | Bellagio Excessive Purchase-in Event Collection $3,100 NLH | 1st | $159,468 |
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Jan Vang Sørensen – $2,263,518
Jan Vang Sorensen
One other former soccer participant who seamlessly transitioned their expertise to the poker desk is Denmark’s Jan Vang Sørensen. Sørensen, like Levi, was compelled to desert his profession at Odense BK following damage.
While touring with the Danish membership, Sørensen realized poker and picked up a knack for quite a lot of poker video games. Remarkably, Sørensen grew to become a poker champion and received two WSOP bracelets within the early 2000s.
On the 2002 WSOP, he triumphed over Ben Carter in heads-up play within the $2,500 Pot-Restrict Omaha bracelet occasion for $185,000. Three years later, he bought his second piece of WSOP {hardware} after taking down the $5,000 Seven Card Stud match for one more six-figure rating of $293,275.
Sørensen additionally holds the file for the most important money by a soccer participant after he received the Grasp Classics of Poker Excessive Curler who a whopping $800,972. General, Sørensen has $2,263,518 in recorded reside match earnings together with his final money coming in October 2022 at The Norwegian Poker Championships. It was his first MTT consequence for over eight years and will mark a comeback for the Dane.
On the 2022 WSOP Europe, VfL Wolfsburg striker Max Kruse grew to become the most recent soccer participant to win a WSOP bracelet. The German topped the 413-entry discipline in Occasion #7: €1,650 No-Restrict Maintain’em 6-Handed to finish his decade-long bracelet pursuit.
Jan Vang Sørensen’s Prime 3 Cashes
| November 2008 | MCOP €6,200 NLH | 1st | $800,972 |
| June 2005 | WSOP $5,000 Seven Card Stud | 1st | $293,275 |
| Could 2002 | WSOP $2,500 Pot-Restrict Omaha | 1st | $185,000 |
Steve Watts – $889,933
Steve Watts
Those that have floor the British poker scene would’ve undoubtedly come throughout former skilled soccer participant Steve Watts. The 46-year-old is finest recognized for his five-year stint at Leyton Orient, the place he revamped 100 soccer league appearances for the membership.
Watts, who now performs poker professionally, is a daily on the WSOP, EPT, and WPT kicked off his foray into Texas Maintain’em in 2008 the place he received a match for £9,000.
Since then, Watts has amassed almost $1 million in reside match winnings together with his largest rating coming within the 2013 WSOP Most important Occasion, the place he took residence $123,597 after bowing out in 59th place.
Steve Watt’s Prime 3 Cashes
| July 2013 | WSOP $10,000 Most important Occasion | 59th | $123,597 |
| April 2012 | Irish Poker Open €3,500 Most important Occasion | fifth | $102,759 |
| January 2012 | WPT Dublin €2,750 Most important Occasion | fifth | $51,063 |
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Gerard Piqué – $668,155
Gerard Pique
Different soccer stars who’ve carried out effectively on the poker tables embody the aforementioned Piqué, Tony Cascarino and Vikash Dhorasoo.
Piqué, who retired from soccer final month, was extensively thought to be probably the greatest defenders on this planet throughout his extraordinarily profitable profession. The Spaniard boasts probably the greatest careers of all time having received a World Cup, a Euros, and numerous different titles throughout his stints at Manchester United and FC Barcelona.
Most of Pique’s successes in poker have come at EPT Barcelona. In 2019, he missed out on turning into a poker champion and was the runner-up within the sequence’s €25K Excessive Curler. The $392,950 payday makes up most of his $668,155 earnings and now with Piqué stepping away from enjoying soccer, he may quickly be a staple at a number of poker stops around the globe.
Gerard Piqué’s Prime 3 Cashes
| August 2019 | EPT Barcelona – €25,000 No Restrict Maintain’em | 2nd | $392,950 |
| August 2017 | PokerStars Championship Barcelona – €25,000 No Limt Maintain’em | fifth | $152,467 |
| September 2011 | EPT Barcelona €5,200 6-Max Turbo | third | $58,996 |
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Tony Cascarino – $595,809
Tony Cascarino
After terrorizing defenses throughout the UK and France, Tony Cascarino grew to become a titan within the British Poker scene.
Within the late 00s, Cascarino was a constant performer and picked up high-profile wins on the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour. The spotlight of his poker profession got here in 2009 when he collected $283,412 after profitable the £3,150 GUKPT London Most important Occasion.
Do you know that the previous Chelsea ahead competed on the EURO 1988 and made appearances within the 1990 and 1994 World Cups for Eire?
Tony Cascarino’s’s Prime 3 Cashes
| November 2009 | £3,150 GUKPT London Most important Occasion | 1st | $283,412 |
| September 2008 | £1,060 GUKPT Bolton Most important Occasion | 1st | $96,205 |
| September 2007 | EPT London £5,400 Most important Occasion | 14th | $44,883 |
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Most Cash Received in Poker by Soccer Gamers
| David Levi | Israel | $4,134,982 | $229,540 |
| Jan Vang Sorensen | Denmark | $2,263,518 | $800,972 |
| Steve Watts | England | $889,933 | $123,597 |
| Gerard Pique | Spain | $668,155 | $392,515 |
| Tony Cascarino | Eire | $595,809 | $283,412 |
Calum Grant
Editor & Reside Reporter
Calum has been part of the PokerNews crew since September 2021 after working within the UK vitality sector. He performed his first hand of poker in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the sport. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is profitable the one match he has ever performed in Las Vegas, the celebrated $60 Flamingo night occasion.
