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Not just a hockey player

Not just a hockey player by Dave Marshall

Hockey players have long been known to be men of great strength, strong wills, and superior focus.  There is another game where players with these strengths excel at, and that is poker.  It should be no surprise that pro athletes, especially hockey players, have begun to take up Texas Hold em poker, and in some cases they have turned into professional players.  Let's take a look at a couple of these players that have picked up the game that is quickly becoming a major pastime by many people around the world.

 

Mostly everyone that follows hockey knows Mats Sundin.  Sundin was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989 and after four seasons was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he played until the end of the 2007-2008 season.  He served 11 years as team captain and is the first Swedish player in history to score over 500 goals in a career.  He spent his final season in Vancouver with the Canucks before announcing his retirement after the 2008-2009 season. 

 

Although never winning the Stanley Cup, Sundin had great success with Team Sweden in international play.  The team took gold medals in the 1991,1992, and 1998 World Championships.  They took the silver in 2003 and bronze in 1994 and 2001.  Team Sweden, captained by Sundin, also took the 2006 Winter Olympics gold medal for hockey. 

 

After his retirement from Hockey, Sundin has shifted some his focus over to poker.  He has been signed with PokerStars to serve as a celebrity ambassador for the site.  He primarily plays cash games, but he does participate in a few tournaments.  Any money won via his poker play will be donated to charity.  This is just one way that he can give back and at the same time have fun at something he enjoys.

 

The most proficient former hockey player in poker today would be Greg "FBT" Mueller.  Mueller played professionally in Europe for eight years.  He started playing poker while traveling between games during his hockey career.  However, after retiring, Mueller decided to take up the game full time.  He first significant cash was in 2006 when he finished 4th at the WPT World Poker Challenge.  He netted $142,285.   A year later, he made his 2nd WSOP final table and his first runner up finish, finishing 2nd in the $5,000 Mixed Holdem event.  He took home $328,554.  2008 saw Mueller make two more final tables at the WSOP and finish runner-up in the $5,000 NL Holdem shootout.

 

Mueller finally broke through for his first major win in 2009.  At the World Series of Poker, he took down the $10,000 World Championship of Limit Holdem.  This win was the biggest of his career at $460,000.  Later in the WSOP, Mueller won his 2nd WSOP bracelet when he won the $1,500 Limit Holdem shootout.  This win added $194,909 to his career winnings, but finally put him on the map as a legitimate pro. 

 

For Mueller's career, he has over $1.78 Million in career winnings.  He is also a sponsored pro with Full Tilt Poker.  The "FBT" nickname stands for "Full Blown Tilt", a term his friends use to describe his sometimes fiery demeanor at the tables.  He ranks 18th on the Canadian all-time money list. 

 

Sundin and Mueller are just two examples of players that have moved their passion for one sport over to another.  While not every player will be as successful as Mueller and win bracelets and Millions, other will still be able to make strong showings and at least have a great time.  Poker is a game that spans genders, generations, and now even sports.  If you haven't taken up poker yet, you may want to sit down and give it a try.  Who knows, you may even run into Mats Sundin or Greg Mueller at the tables.

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