When it comes to hitting jump shots, getting to the rim and setting his teammates up to score, retired San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker is in a league of his own. This week in the Bahamas, the four-time NBA champion proved he also has some moves at the poker table as he made today’s Day 2 of the $25,000 buy-in Super Main Event at World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise.
After 12 hours of intense play, the special WSOP invitee bagged about two starting stacks after battling at a premiere table that included high-stakes pro Sam Greenwood and inaugural WPT World Championship winner Eliot Hudon to Parker’s immediate left. Parker’s opponents put him in difficult positions throughout the day and at one point forced him to lay down pocket kings preflop.
PokerNews caught up with Parker as he bagged up his chips on Dec. 13 and talked about his thought process in the hand, battling with seasoned pros and which of Parker’s former Spurs teammates is the best poker player.
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“I Made the Right Decision”
Parker, who also played at last year’s WSOP Paradise, had a strong start to the tournament as he cracked Greenwood’s aces by flopping a full house. It was a strong enough hand for Parker to check-raise the river, but he wasn’t as confident in the Cowboys he was dealt a few hours later.
After a raise from China’s Biao Ding holding ace-queen, Parker min-raised before being sent into the tank as Ding four-bet all in. Parker agonized behind a pair of dark glasses before sliding the best hand to the dealer.
“I folded pocket kings. I heard, I don’t know, they told me, that he had ace-queen, but it’s one of those games (where) you just have to go with your feeling and how you feel the guys at the table,” Parker told PokerNews.
He added with a laugh, “I folded, but I finished Day 1. He didn’t finish Day 1, so I made the right decision.”
“I Wish I Played More”
Despite getting bluffed off the big hand, Parker was just happy for the chance to play poker. “I wish I played more. I wish I had more time to play more and perfect my game. But at the end of the day I’m having fun, felt the adrenaline. I loved coming back here, I was here last year for the first one and this year it’s a lot more people so it’s a lot of fun.”
Parker also took part in some non-poker festivities in Paradise that were more firmly in his wheelhouse. In a role reversal, he played in a pick-up basketball game that included GPI Player of the Year frontrunner Jesse Lonis and went one-on-one with content creator Abby Merk.
Which Spurs Legend is the Best Poker Player?
Throughout his 18-season NBA career, which was spent almost entirely on the San Antonio Spurs under the tutelage of Greg Popovich, Parker had plenty of chances to play poker with his teammates. That included core members of the Spurs classic lineup like Tim Duncan, who is widely regarded as one of the best power forwards in basketball history.
According to Parker, Duncan was also the team’s best poker player.
“We played a lot of poker,” Parker said. “The one I played the most with is Timmy. Timmy played a lot of poker.”
When asked if Parker could get Duncan to come play at the World Series sometime, Parker replied, “I don’t know about that. I’ll try.”
Parker isn’t the only NBA player to shine on the felt. Former Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce is a frequent poker player and has also battled in high-stakes events here in the Bahamas. Meanwhile, fellow early 2000s NBA and college basketball legend Mike Bibby played in the recent Celebrity Poker Tour Championship in Las Vegas alongside retired Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers.
Jimmy Butler, a more recent NBA star, played on the Hustler Casino Live stream earlier this year, though he won’t be returning to the popular Los Angeles stream any time soon.
With Day 2 underway, Parker is back at a tough table with up-and-coming grinders like Frank Funaro and Jake Ripnick. We’ll see if the four-time champion is able to make an in-the-money run in this championship event — even if he has to fold some premiums along the way.
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