The favorite casino games of top athletes
Not only amateur athletes and sports enthusiasts like you and me enjoy casino games, but there are also quite a few top athletes who like to spend an evening at the casino. In this article, you’ll discover which games they prefer to play, from online slots to live blackjack.
Rafael Nadal
The passionate tennis player enjoys a night at the casino, and his favorite game is poker. He even faced off against professional poker player Vanessa Selbst at the poker table once. However, he still needs to work on his poker face, so it’s a good thing he chose tennis as his career.
Dietmar Hamann
Moving from tennis to football, this former German professional footballer enjoys playing online slots in his spare time. He once lost over €250,000 in a single session, which was more than he could afford. He still loves casinos but now advocates for responsible gambling. This is something you can do at a safe online casino, like this free spins casino.
Michael Jordan
Former NBA player Michael Jordan also enjoys a gamble at the casino, where he prefers to place large bets on poker. With a fortune of $3.2 billion, he can probably afford to lose some money. Although rumors suggest he mostly wins money while gambling.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The favorite casino game of this football great is the same as that of the basketball legend. However, he is quite driven and also manages to score at the poker table. According to sources, he is no longer often found in physical casinos nowadays, but rather in the online casino scene.
Tiger Woods
Golfer Tiger Woods particularly enjoys card games, including poker and blackjack. He frequents casinos during visits to Las Vegas and also in the Bahamas, specifically during a relaxing vacation at the Atlantis Resort. While he started at the blackjack table with $100 hands, reportedly he now bets up to $25,000 per hand while playing poker.
Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué, like many on this list, is a big fan of poker and even won over €350,000 during a 25K high roller tournament. This secured him the second prize after being defeated by professional poker player Juan Pardo. Not bad for someone who sees poker as a hobby.
Phil Mickelson
Woods isn’t the only golfer who enjoys a bit of risk in his spare time; the same applies to his colleague Phil Mickelson. He himself admits to having placed over 7,000 bets in four years. He still occasionally indulges in a casino game, but purely as a hobby. In this article, you’ll discover the unique hobbies of other top athletes; for example, Messi collects antiques.
Lewis Hamilton
We conclude this list of well-known casino players with sportsman Lewis Hamilton. He loves a visit to the casino, but Toto Wolff has forbidden him from doing so during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The entire team is prohibited from setting foot in the casinos because it could be too distracting. Hamilton is particularly fond of retro games, but he also enjoys playing poker and blackjack.