Michael Phelps' newest challenge: World Series of Poker
Winner of 22 Olympic medals, Michael Phelps now feeds his need for competition at the poker table. He's playing in his first World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
•
1 min read
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, dismisses talk he's coming back to compete in the pool. But he is competing in an international event, playing in his first World Series of Poker.
Phelps did not cash in his first tournament, a $5,000 no-limit hold’em event he spontaneously decided to enter last week. The WSOP in Las Vegas runs through July 15, giving Phelps plenty of chances to improve his game.
“It’s kind of weird,” Phelps told Card Player. "I wasn’t even going to play (the first event). I just wanted to come over and see everything and somehow these guys talked me into playing. Antonio [Esfandiari] and JG (Jeff Gross) told me we should just throw in a buy-in and see what happens at your first World Series event.”
Phelps is no poker novice. He made a final table at the 2008 Caesars Palace Classic, winning $5,213, though he denies a report he once won $100,000 in a cash game.
In addition to navigating top-flight competition, Phelps must deal with a constant swarm of fans and autograph seekers.
Friendly with several poker pros, Phelps said it would be sweet to outperform them this summer at the WSOP.
“I’ve never been out here [before] and all these guys always seem like they’re having so much fun when they play,” he said. "If I ever win a bracelet before [they] do, they’re going to be really pissed. So we’ll see what happens.”
