Grand Slam Winner Rafael Nadal Beats Football Legend Ronaldo in a PokerStars Charity Match

Celebrity matches make for some interesting viewing, besides contributing to charity. Poker has always had a magnanimous heart, with several such matches taking place regularly.

On Wednesday, two sports giants came together for just such a charity poker match.

Football’s “il fenomeno,” Ronaldo and “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal (cover image) were the two opponents, facing each other at the Hippodrome’s plush casino and poker room in London.

14-time Grand Slam winner, Nadal went on to prove his mettle on the felts, by defeating the retired footballer, claiming the prize of $50,000.

The money is to be donated to The Rafa Nadal Foundation, which was set up by Nadal in 2007, to support children and teenagers, facing social ostracism and exclusion from mainstream society.

PokerStars had organized this charity match and the game plan gave 20 minutes to each player, wherein, each had to prove their poker skills and outdo the other.

This was not the first time Nadal has beaten the Brazilian footballer. Last December, the duo had faced each other in the EPT Charity Challenge, along with poker stalwarts Daniel Negreanu, Fatima Moreira de Melo, Ukrainian footballer Andriy Shevchenko and Italian skier Alberto Tomba, all playing at a one-table sit-and-go event.

Nadal had won the match and claimed €50,000 for a charity of his choice.

A cheerful Ronaldo took the defeat sportingly and said that he now looked forward to playing with Neymar. Speaking about his loss, he added, “Rafa played well. I made a mistake going all in at the end with a bluff, but ultimately Rafa had the best hand. Sometimes you have to be bold in poker, and even though it didn’t work out this time, I had fun.”

The winner went on to respond, “Ronaldo is a football great and it’s amazing for me to have the opportunity to face him at the poker table. I’m happy for a rematch if Ronaldo is up to the challenge.”

The tennis veteran then went on to explain, “In poker, you need self control, the ability to analyze your opponent and read the game to know when to go for it, a strategy that is not too dissimilar to tennis. It was close for most of the match and I’m delighted to have won. I called all in on the final hand, which proved to be a good move.”

Well, while congratulations are in order to Nadal, it would be remiss of us, to forget the contribution of the poker industry and PokerStars for doing their bit for charity!

Image Courtesy: PokerStars Blog