Rob Gronkowski will at some point make the Corridor of Fame, but it surely clearly will not be the Poker Corridor of Fame.
The legendary New England Patriots tight finish made his televised poker debut on the PokerStars Huge Recreation on Tour Season 2, the place he struck up a little bit of a rivalry with longtime poker professional Antonio Esfandiari. “Gronk,” one in all Tom Brady’s favourite targets on 4 Tremendous Bowl championship groups, turned a goal of the “Magician” in the course of the $100/$200 no-limit maintain’em money recreation.
“That is the Gronk’s first time taking part in playing cards on TV. If the proper alternative rises the place I can put him to the check, I’ll act on it,” Esfandiari mentioned earlier than the six gamers took their seats, every shopping for in for $50,000, aside from Esfandiari, who started with $100,000.
The talkative desk additionally included sports activities discuss persona Nick Wright, poker champion Phil Hellmuth, professional slot machines participant and event poker crusher Rania Nasreddine, and the “Free Cannon,” Luke Wakelin.
Wakelin, a Brit who grew up in Florida, made some aggressive performs you do not usually see from the Free Cannon, leisure gamers staked to play within the PokerStars-branded TV poker recreation. He additionally claims to be a rapper who sung a music so offensive that half the phrases needed to be bleeped out. However the largest motion on the desk got here from Gronk and Esfandiari.
From the Gridiron to the Felt
The sport began with Nasreddine, who reached consecutive PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) closing tables in 2024, informing Gronkowski the best way to correctly take a look at his gap playing cards so his opponents cannot see them. Gronk then limped from below the gun with Okay♦8♣ earlier than Wright, within the small blind with A♣J♣, raised to $1,000 and took down the primary pot.
Gronk started to select up the fundamentals of the sport, nevertheless. He did not present a lot aggression, however he additionally did not make many free calls, sometimes folding to a guess if he missed the flop. Esfandiari would choose on the inexperienced gamers — Gronk and Wakelin — in an early pot, placing them each to the check with an enormous over-bet.
Gronkowski limped from the cutoff with A♠7♦ earlier than Esfandiari raised to $800 on the button with 9♣4♣. Wakelin, who discovered A♣8♣ within the huge blind, known as, as did the retired NFL celebrity. The flop got here out 3♠4♠7♣, two gamers pairing up.
Wakelin checked, giving Gronkowski a chance to guess his high pair, which he did for $1,500. Each gamers known as to see the J♣ give them every a flush draw. Motion checked to Esfandiari, and he used his huge stack to make the most of the leisure gamers by placing all of them in for $50,000, almost seven occasions the dimensions of the pot.
The Free Cannon, though he was drawing to the nut flush, needed to fold ace-high as a result of if he had been to name and lose, he can be out of the sport. Gronkowski was additionally in a tricky spot with the jack on the flip trumping his flopped high pair. He additionally determined to fold and doubtlessly look forward to a greater spot.
Gronk, whose dad and brother had been in attendance, noticed a flop he preferred in a hand towards Esfandiari — 6♣9♥J♦.
“That is my hand, by the best way,” he knowledgeable his opponent earlier than performing on the flop.
“What’s? Jack, 9, six?” Esfandiari requested.
“Six, 9, and I am the jack of all trades,” Gronk joked, which introduced laughter from the desk.
In that very same hand, Gronk was put to the check with A♥Q♣ after the Q♠ appeared on the flip to provide him high pair, and the 4♦ landed on the river. With $14,500 within the pot and $45,900 behind in his stack, he checked the river. Esfandiari, as soon as once more, moved all in, and he was turning third pair — 9♠7♠ — right into a bluff. The long run Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer as soon as once more, regardless of having the most effective hand, was pressured to fold.
There weren’t any monster pots in the course of the first episode with this full of life desk. However there was loads of desk discuss, together with Esfandiari and Gronk razzing Hellmuth for repeatedly name-dropping his movie star pals. When all was mentioned and accomplished, by 23 arms, Nasreddine had turned the most important revenue, up $14,000. The Free Cannon, who can solely money out income received throughout 150 arms, was down $17,400.
Esfandiari is off to a robust begin, up $12,500. Gronkowski, the participant he is been focusing on, is down $14,400. The second episode with these six gamers will air subsequent Sunday morning on the PokerStars YouTube channel.
