Towards the end of 2008, it seemed like all we heard about was US swimmer Michael Phelp’s foray into the poker world. Phelps was playing cash games and tournaments in Las Vegas, hanging out with poker greats like Doyle Brunson, and teasing multiple poker rooms into thinking he would sign with them. Then Phelps went back into preparation for the World Championships of swimming and has yet to be heard from as far as poker goes.
However, that hiatus has ended since Phelps was recently seen playing in the Borgata Winter Open in a $2,000 heads-up event. Phelps was one of 64 people who played in the tournament, and he beat a couple of well-noted pros in Adam Gerber and Paul Wasicka. Unfortunately, Phelps run came to an end when Jeff Madsen defeated him in heads-up play.
Phelps best poker finish came back in 2008 when he made the final table of a $1,500 buy-in event at the Caesar’s Palace Classic. He was able to maneuver his way through a field of 150 players to finish in ninth place and cash for $5,000.
Many believe Phelps has cut down on his poker playing because he’s trying to shed a bad boy image that formulated when he was pictured smoking out of a bong at a party. He was also photographed in strip clubs, and was rumored to have invited strippers over to his house to dance for money.
Another reason for Phelps’ absence in poker is definitely the amount of time he dedicated to training for the 2009 World Championships of swimming. He lost his first race to Germany’s Paul Biedermann before going on to win 5 straight gold medals. Phelps is best known for his performance at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics where he won a world-record 8 gold medals.
Tags: News, Poker Pop Culture
