Neymar to Try His Hand at Professional Poker
Brazilian Football star Neymar has declared his intention to move into professional poker when his football career ends. The Brazilian has been a fan of the game since the 2014 World Cup and even named his dog “Poker” after his passion.
Card playing is popular among teammates in many sports—football and basketball in particular. Poker is a perfect solution to the need to find a relaxing pursuit in the evenings off during competition.
The 29-year-old Neymar used to regularly hook up with Gerard Pique when the pair were at Barcelona, and now Keylor Navas and Leandro Paredes are regular opponents across the felt at PSG.
“So when I finish my football career, that’s one of the things I’m going to do”
Speaking to French news outlet CNews, Neymar answered a few questions about his plans for poker post-retirement.
“I feel very comfortable and I think that after playing football I will be able to do tournaments, travel to play tournaments that I have always wanted to participate in and could not do because of my agenda and my career. So when I finish my football career, that’s one of the things I’m going to do, travel to play this type of tournament.”
We wonder if he will be a regular guest and the WSOP and EPT when his career winds up.
Similarities Between Poker and Football
The interview continued with some probing questions about similarities between poker and football, with answers that weren’t so surprising and maybe explained a little about why sports stars enjoy poker so much.
“Among the similarities between poker and football, the way you read your opponent is very important”
“Among the similarities between poker and football, I think focus is one of them. The way you read your opponent and the game is also very important. I think one of the most important things in football, and what I do on the pitch, is to read the game, read your opponent, and see where you can attack, where you can move to create a chance for your team. And in poker it’s the same, you have to read the game, read your opponents and know the right time to attack your opponent.”
It’s incredible just how similar poker is to a team game like football. This analogy also makes it clear why those who are successful in either share many of the same traits, such as obsessive drive to continuously improve.
Don’t forget to check out the latest poker news to see what’s been happening in the poker world.
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