Retired from swimming since the Rio Olympics in 2016, Michael Phelps has been indulging in his new passions for some time, including poker! If the swimmer who broke all the Olympic records was known for his taste for playing cards, it was to everyone's surprise that the Baltimore Kid made his appearance at the WSOP during the $10,000 team tournament.
We no longer present the most successful sportsman in the history of the Olympic Games! With 28 medals during the five participations in the Olympiads of his career, including 23 in gold, Michael Phelps holds all the records in swimming. If the one we also call, the Kid from Baltimore, has won everything in his favorite sport, the swimmer has other passions that we know less about. A great golf lover, the greatest Olympic champion is also a poker enthusiast!
"Accompanied by his friends, Jeff Gross, Brian Rast and Antonio Esfandiari, Michael Phelps made a surprise appearance at this poker tournament. »
Great friend of some big names on the international circuit such as Jeff Gross (his former roommate) or Antonio Esfandiari, it has been years that his qualities of concentration and strategy allow him to win poker games. Moreover, even if during his sports career, this passion earned him some criticism, it was also while playing poker in Las Vegas that Michael Phelps met his former partner, who was a dealer at the Palms Casino Resort!
It was especially after the Beijing Olympics in 2008, that the Baltimore Kid really focused on playing cards. After an intense 6 weeks of work in Las Vegas, Michael Phelps finished in ninth place in a $1,500 tournament at Caesars Palace, to pocket about $100,000 in winnings!
If the former swimmer had not participated in the World Series of Poker since 2013, the greatest sportsman of all time made his return last week during a team tournament where the entry price was set at $ 10,000. Accompanied by his friends, Jeff Gross, Brian Rast and Antonio Esfandiari, Michael Phelps made a surprise appearance at this poker tournament. Indeed, while his participation was still uncertain, the Baltimore Kid was able to free up a space in his schedule to demonstrate all his qualities during the WSOP in Las Vegas!
Moreover, between the muses of the major poker brands and card game enthusiasts, Michael Phelps is not the only celebrity who has recently sat around the tables. The FC Barcelona footballer, Neymar, notably participated in a private tournament during these WSOP in Las Vegas, even if he was quickly eliminated by his Brazilian friends. The tennis player, Rafael Nadal has also spent time around the tables during major tournaments organized by PokerStars in Europe. Thus, it would seem that the card game is a possible reconversion for a certain number of "peoples"!
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