2012 Summer OlympicsMedia MonsterWeird But True

Michael Phelps Plays In A Weekly $25,000 Poker Game, Probably Because He Can

It’s not every week you or I can piss away 25 G’s on a poker game. In fact, it’s not any week you or I can piss away 25 G’s on a poker game. But you’re never gonna guess who can! Nawww, you totally could. It’s Michael Phelps. That dude is rich, retired and loves him some poker.

Yeah, so every week Mikey dips into his $45 million bank account, withdraws a cool $25,000, and drops it on a poker game with his friends. I’m sure as hell curious to know who these “friends” are because if other people are footing this kind of bill for a weekly poker romp, maybe we know a few of them. But forget about Phelps’ fellow card sharks (GET IT?!), how did the most decorated Olympian of all time get involved in such a nefarious hobby! Chipist has the details:

Over the years, Phelps has apparently enjoyed the tutelage of a number of poker mentors including Doyle Brunson. Now that Phelps is done blowing away the competition in Olympic pools, perhaps he’ll enjoy competitive recreation at the tables.

In a conversation with Card Player, Phelps explained:

“I love to play, it’s fun, it’s exciting. It was more something so that I could have time to myself. I could relax, I could be myself, and I could have fun.  It’s a place where I can be me. I’ve met some of my best friends at a poker table. Some of the kids I’m always with, who I talk to every day.”

Michael Phelps is a rich man with a lot of resources and nothing to do, so this makes absolute perfect sense. It’s also worth noting he’s been at the poker table for a while now, originally buying into games for one or two bucks. It does beg the question though, was his whole professional career just a charade and a front to finance an eventual high stakes poker game?

I mean, Phelps himself has said in the past he doesn’t really like swimming all that much. And getting high does seem like an allowable sidebar for a poker player. It would be a classic long con…

Nahhh, probably not. Still, maybe we should be wary of Phelps’ hobby. Perhaps a 12-step program isn’t too far away.

[Chipist, photo via Getty]