Cristiano Ronaldo and Poker

In this article, we will tell you all about Christiano Ronaldo poker career. But first, we will tell you a little bit more about him, the skills that give him an extra edge in poker, and his favourite game. Spoiler alert, it is not football! Then, in the second part of this piece, you can find more details about his poker career and how to prepare for online poker. Lastly, we have prepared an FAQ section for those who might need it.

Ronaldo Playing Poker – Gambler and Footballer

You might as well have lived under a rock if you have not heard of the superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. Most recently, the Portuguese icon plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and is the captain of the Portugal national team. Often dubbed as ‘one of the greatest players of all time’, Ronaldo has won 30 major trophies for his professional contributions.

Also, Cristiano Ronaldo has two records – for the most goals and for the most assists in the history of the UEFA Champions League. As impressive as all of this is, in this piece, we will focus on the poker star Ronaldo, instead of the footballer. In tune with the theme, we recommend you check out the best sport betting sites in Portugal.

Throughout the years, we have seen Ronaldo endorsing many different brands. A few years back, he jumped in on a massive campaign with PokerStars – one of the world’s top online poker rooms. It was a truly memorable project as we see people talking about it to this day. Back in 2015, the company decided to work with many professional athletes and celebrities to raise awareness.

PokerStars organised charity tournaments and one-on-one duels with their brand ambassadors from around the world. An important key to the success of the campaign was that all of the celebrities were good gamblers which made it even more interesting. At that time, Cristiano Ronaldo had already played online poker for years and established his winning strategy.

Ronaldo Poker Wins – More Than a Super Athlete

Without question, both poker and football require a high level of concentration and a specific skill set. Another similarity that you could point out is that both are games which involve strategy and very little is left to chance. Also, poker and football have extensive rules that players must respect.

When it comes to poker, Ronaldo confirms that he began playing in his 20s with friends at home, just like most of us. In the official statement issued by PokerStars, the footballer continues explaining how he enjoys the beloved game because of the competition, the strategy and, of course, the fun. If you are eager to learn about the top operators in the homeland of the superstar, we suggest you take a look at the top-rated Portuguese poker sites.

The iconic superstar is a man of many talents, football and poker being two of the most popular ones. Undoubtedly, Ronaldo’s poker career is known to fewer people, but it is just as remarkable. Some might say that Cristiano has a comparative advantage over other gamblers because he is a professional footballer.

Although football is my world, poker has always been my game. I’m very excited to join the [PokerStars] team. Cristiano Ronaldo

All in all, at the football field he must read situations quickly, predict the next move of his competition and foresee the possible outcomes. Cristiano Ronaldo notably has said that poker allows him to experience the same thrill he only gets on the pitch. Also, he was the second major sports star to join PokerStars.

Poker Star Ronaldo

You would think that after long hours of intensive football practice or a prolonged match, the superstar would be too exhausted to join even a quick poker game. However, as we said earlier, Ronaldo’s love for poker sparked while playing with friends at home. We know this from the videos and photos the superstar shared on social media.

For a while, many believed that for Ronaldo playing poker is a fun way to spend time with close friends. However, the athlete quickly joined the world of professional poker when he got the chance. Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo explained in front Team PokerStars that he is excited to sit at live poker tables and meet fans.

Joining the PokerStars Team

PokerStars launched their first-ever online real-money wagering site back in 2001. To this day, the company holds the world record for the biggest online tournament which it broke two times before that. Also, they launched a very successful campaign with many celebrity ambassadors. PokerStars reached out to celebrities who are known to enjoy the game.

Christiano Ronaldo’s poker skills are no secret, so it was only a matter of time before he joined the team. The superstar was excited to announce that he is really proud to join Team PokerStars. Ronaldo reportedly said that he respects the fact that the brand strives to stay ahead of the curve and that it was a natural course to join them.

PokerStars, Ronaldo Plays Against Aaron Paul

In 2016, the poker star Ronaldo sat down in one-on-one PokerStars duel against Aaron Paul, the actor who played Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad. But this was no ordinary tournament, each of them played for a different charity – Ronaldo for Save the Children and Paul for the Kind Campaign.

The match was part of PokerStars’ web series which got a lot of mixed emotions from the poker community. In case you missed it, the whole tournament can be found on YouTube. Below, you can find the video of the poker game between Ronaldo and Paul.

However, due to advertising restrictions, you might not be able to see the video if you are based in the UK. So, allow us to briefly tell you how things went down between the superstars. Now, we have mentioned that Ronaldo is an experienced poker player, but so is Paul. He is a member of the L.A. Sunset from the Global Poker League.

The one-on-one duel between Ronaldo and Paul was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. At first, the deck was on Aaron’s side, but then things changed for a while until Ronaldo folded. Shortly after, the footballer was dealt the winning hand – two Jacks against six and four of spades – then he went all in and won.

How to Train for Online Poker

We can all agree that poker is hardly a game of chance, it rather requires unbreakable concentration and attention to detail. Also, players who are good at math and strategic thinking have better chances at cashing out the biggest prizes. Nowadays, online poker is probably the most widely played version of the card game.

Players can enjoy a quick game or even participate in tournaments via online poker platforms. Either way, you play against real people, and everything is made to resemble brick-and-mortal casinos. These days, there are hundreds if not even thousands of operators offering live dealer tables. For your convenience, we have ranked the top 3 poker sites below:

Poker is a classic casino game played over centuries all over the world. As such, certain behaviour is expected from gamblers at the table. So, we have taken the liberty of creating a list of the do’s and don’ts of poker etiquette for those of you who are just getting started.

For starters, any form of antisocial behaviour such as cursing can get you kicked out. Secondly, players are expected to play fairly and not slow down the game for their advantage. Lastly, a pro tip – never tell or hint why you folded, this gives an unfair advantage to your opponents. We hope these tips would help you get the most of your poker experience.

Ronaldo the Footballer, But Which One?

Most of us instantly think about Cristiano Ronaldo when we hear ‘Ronaldo, the footballer’. However, there is another professional athlete who is just as celebrated – Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima a.k.a Ronaldo. He also happens to be a big fan of poker and was a PokerStars brand ambassador. So, let’s get any confusion out of the way.

Currently, Ronaldo is a retired footballer and a successful business owner. His sports achievements are almost as impressive as those of Cristiano. Coincidently, he was also dubbed as one of the best footballers of all time. Check out the table below to see more details about both superstars.

Now, it is time for us to tell you a little about their PokerStars Duels. We told you all about the match between Aaron Paul and Cristiano Ronaldo, but there was a game just as interesting between him and the 2015 Miss World, Mireia Lalaguna. We prepared a little something special for all our Portuguese speaking readers – a guide to the top casinos in Portugal. We hope you like it!

In 2014, Ronaldo played against Bebeto – politician and former World Cup champion. The game between two Brazilian footballers took an unexpected twist when Bebeto double bluffed Ronaldo and won. Later on, the same year, there was another match of poker Ronaldo and Rafael Nadal bit against each other. In the end, the tennis player was victorious.

Let’s Recap What Happened

From what we gathered, Cristiano Ronaldo has many talents, the top two being football and poker. The internationally beloved athlete confirmed that he started playing poker in his 20s with friends back in Portugal. Ronaldo’s love for poker was evident even before his brand ambassadorship for PokerStars. The campaign would not have been the same without him.

All in all, being a footballer has given him an extra edge against his opponents on the table. We saw two Ronaldo poker wins, the first against Aaron Paul and the second one against Mireia Lalaguna. Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is an experienced poker player who enjoys the thrill of the game.

FAQs About the Poker Star

We hope that this article has helped you learn more about Cristiano Ronaldo’s poker star career. However, if some things are still unclear and blurry, then keep on reading. We prepared a list of the most common questions about the topic and listed them below with the corresponding answers.