Santi Cañizares, the former Spanish goalkeeper and current sports commentator, has traded the pitch for the poker table, achieving a remarkable victory in a prestigious tournament hosted by Winamax in Andorra. The win, recounted by Cañizares on the popular Spanish radio show ‘El Partidazo de COPE’ with Juanma Castaño, saw him triumph over a field of seasoned professional players.
The victory is particularly surprising given Cañizares hadn’t played a hand of poker in six years. “I went under the radar,” he admitted, explaining his initial goal was simply to avoid early elimination. However, a combination of strategy and luck propelled him to the top.
A Champion Falls
A pivotal moment in the tournament arrived when only three players remained. Cañizares found himself facing off against Adrián Mateos, widely considered one of the world’s best poker players, whose success story is well-documented. “I read that he’s won over 50 million euros in prize money,” Cañizares remarked, clearly impressed, before the decisive hand.
The hand itself was a “flip,” a term used in poker to describe a situation where players have roughly equal odds of winning. Cañizares held a pair of fours, while Mateos had an ace-ten. Fortune favored Cañizares, securing his victory. “He was very gracious up until that point, but not so much afterwards,” Cañizares joked, describing Mateos’ reaction to being eliminated.
A Trip to Las Vegas Awaits
The prize is to be in the Main Event of Las Vegas
Contrary to expectations, the tournament prize isn’t a monetary one. Instead, Cañizares has earned an invitation to the Main Event in Las Vegas, the world championship of poker. “The prize is to be in the Main Event of Las Vegas,” Cañizares stated, calling it “the dream of any poker player.” The tournament, which drew over 10,000 players last year, is a familiar stage for Adrián Mateos.
The Andorra tournament also attracted other notable figures, including professional player Leo Margets, whom Cañizares described as “a fantastic and super-sporty girl” and “one of the best players in the world.” Both Margets and Mateos have previously appeared on ‘El Partidazo de COPE’ to discuss their achievements.
Retirement or a Return to the Felt?
And if I don’t play poker anymore, that’s it?
Following his unexpected win, Cañizares playfully contemplated retirement. “And if I don’t play poker anymore, that’s it?” he asked Juanma Castaño. “It’s a good moment, isn’t it? You’re not going to go any further,” he added, drawing a parallel to the presenter’s own career.
Cañizares also joked about the timing of the Las Vegas event, which falls in the first week of July and could potentially coincide with the FIFA World Cup. Despite his victory abroad, Cañizares clarified that any winnings would be subject to Spanish taxes, concluding the interview on a lighthearted note.
The win represents a significant, if unexpected, turn for Cañizares, who has built a successful second career as a sports analyst following his retirement from professional football. While his future in poker remains uncertain, his victory in Andorra has undoubtedly provided a thrilling new chapter in his post-playing career.
The WSOP Player Standings, updated on , currently show Senthuran Vijayaratnam of Canada leading with $410,810 in earnings. Robin Bergren also of Canada is second with $264,283. The rankings highlight the competitive landscape of professional poker, a world Cañizares has now unexpectedly entered with a notable achievement.
While Cañizares’s win doesn’t immediately impact the WSOP standings, it underscores the growing appeal of poker to athletes and celebrities from other fields. The game’s blend of skill, strategy, and luck continues to attract a diverse range of competitors, and Cañizares’s story is a testament to the potential for anyone to experience success at the tables.
