Football and poker are two very different games, but despite this many stars from the green field have made the move to the green felt. Teddy Sheringham, Tony Cascarino, Eric Cantona and Tomas Brolin are just a few examples of this. Some have disappeared just as quickly as they showed up, while others have been very successful.

Why is this? Why is poker so appealing to football players? The obvious answer is the competitive nature of both games. When your body is worn out after a long career in professional football, you need to get your kicks in a somewhat calmer setting, and then online poker is the perfect choice.

Another reason is that many footballers come in contact with poker during away trips and training camps. Professional athletes have a lot of spare time, and what better way to pass it than to play a game of poker? A player who has been crushing his teammates in Texas Holdem, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud for years might very well ponder a poker career when his football days are over.

Do footballers have a specific playing style at the poker table? Or is their strategy perhaps dependent on which position they played in football? Are forwards loose and aggressive, midfielders smart and balanced, defenders tight and careful, and goalkeepers crazy maniacs (as goalkeepers often are)? The simple answer to these questions is no. You won’t be able to read an opponent’s game based on the fact that he used to be a football player. You have to work a little harder than that to score against them.