Gambling really is a surprisingly popular hobby, especially among those with deep pockets. As we all know, sport is a field that can make you earn really big money and get a non gamstop no deposit bonus for successful gambling. There are many famous snooker players who ended up making gambling a real hobby for themselves.
Stephen Hendry
Hendry is considered by many to be the greatest player to ever pick up a snooker cue, and his serial winner’s mentality has served him well when it comes to poker.
Since retiring in 2012, the seven-time world champion has spent more time on exhibitions, golf, commentary and poker. Apart from gambling, he is also a big fan of horse racing and often goes to the races with friends.
Hendry is also a talented poker player as he is very good at reading people. This helps him a lot in casino games. Hendry took part in the PokerStars Festival in London and Marbella before finishing in 56th place in Dublin for a prize pool of £2,500.
Matthew Stephens
As well as being a former British champion, Stevens has also made a fortune on the poker scene with a staggering £260,000 win in 2004.
The Welshman, who started playing cards just 18 months before the tournament, beat tennis star Evgeny Kafelnikov and darts champion Phil Taylor in the televised final of the Pacific Poker Open.
Stevens had to beat poker professionals and online qualifiers among 108 entrants to reach the final. He spent some of his prize money, which was more than three times the amount he received for winning the British Championship, on a holiday in New York with his family.
Steve Davies
Davies dominated snooker in the 1980s, winning six world titles and 22 more ranking tournaments to put his name in the annals of the sport.
These days he may be better known for his DJ experience, but Davies is also an avid poker and Kaboom Slots player, also playing successfully in televised tournaments. He reached the final table of the 2003 Poker Million alongside another snooker legend, Jimmy White, who won. At the 2006 World Series of Poker, Davis finished 579th, winning just over $20,000, and in 2008 he finished 389th, winning $28,950.
Steve prefers poker, and he has won over $100,000 in live poker tournaments. He has been on many poker shows and has competed in World Series of Poker tournaments in 2006 and 2008.
Ken Doherty
Doherty, another professional snooker player from Ireland, is a huge fan of the 1997 World Series of Poker and has participated in numerous high profile poker tournaments over the years.
The Dubliner took home the first prize of £20,000 at the 2007 Sports Stars Challenge II and earned more than $83,000 in total. Doherty also took part in the 2012 World Poker Tour in his hometown, finishing 14th, and took part in the 2016 Poker Stars European Poker Tour.
He won the $20,000 celebrity poker tournament and finished 14th on the Dublin leg of the World Poker Tour.
Jimmy White
White may be best known for losing in six World Championship finals, but he won the biggest poker prize in 2003 by winning the Poker Million.
Whirlwind beat his former snooker foe Steve Davis in the final to claim the trophy and the first prize of $150,000. White started the game as a 12/1 outsider and racked up the perfect cards to take his opponents out before he went one-on-one (or, in poker terminology, ‘heads-up’) with bookies’ favourite Joe Beavers and lost.
Mark Williams
His close friend and former snooker rival Stephen Hendry described Williams as “the best poker player he has seen” in snooker.
Unlike Messrs Davis and White, three-time world champion Williams rarely found time to take poker seriously in a busy snooker schedule, but has had success on a smaller scale.
In 2005, Welsh Potting Machine won the Betfred Poker Championship in Manchester and also took part in several European Poker Tour tournaments. Williams is also a big fan of casino games. He has been seen playing blackjack and roulette in various casinos around the world. Professional athletes are characterized by a high level of energy, a passion for competition, and a thirst for victory. They’re used to a high level of competition and adrenaline, so they look for it outside of work. This is not surprising, as at the very heart of any sport lies the competitive spirit, which brings a host of new emotions and energises. That’s why the best snooker players love to have fun in gambling clubs and casinos.