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Cristiano Ronaldo is a man of many talents on the football pitch, as we've seen several times throughout his trophy-laden career for club and country. However, what many people don't know is his interest in playing poker. In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo is a fantastic poker player and has rubbed shoulders with some of the best in the business, proving that his talents extend well beyond a football pitch.
Ronaldo's love for poker started in his 20s, when he used to play for hours straight with his friends at home. Much like football, poker is a game of wits, and Cristiano Ronaldo is unsurprisingly good at the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo - The jack of all trades?
In May 2015, Ronaldo signed a deal with PokerStars, which is the most popular poker company in the world, and the game has since then been a hobby for the Portuguese international. Brazilian superstar Neymar, who is also a keen poker player, joined forces with Cristiano Ronaldo as a brand ambassador of PokerStars.
While Ronaldo has admitted that football is his world, he added that poker always been "his game."
"I like playing for winning teams, and PokerStars is the perfect partner for me. As a brand, it is always looking at ways to improve and stay ahead of the curve, and as an athlete that is something I truly respect."
"I started playing poker a few years ago, and I love the competition, strategy and fun. I'm looking forward to taking my game to the online and live poker tables and meeting my fans head to head."
"Although football is my world, poker has always been my game. I'm very excited to join the team."
Aside from Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazario and tennis superstar Rafael Nadal have been involved with PokerStars over the years. Ronaldo's love for the game, coupled with his global audience, meant the partnership was a no brainer, as it was described as a natural step at the time.
David Baazov, who was the CEO of PokerStars at the time, claimed that a partnership deal with global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar would be beneficial for everyone involved.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is part of a new generation of global superstar athletes that work hard, play smart and encourage their fans to share in their lives. We're proud that Ronaldo - and fellow elite player Neymar Jr - have chosen to make PokerStars a partner in their journey and to share their love of the game of poker with their legions of fans."
Aaron Paul, who is known for his role as Jesse Pinkman in the television series Breaking Bad, is a renowned poker player. When Cristiano Ronaldo went face to face with the TV star, Paul was expected to reign supreme in the battle of wits.
However, that wasn't to be the case, as Ronaldo came out on top in what went down as one of the most epic duels in the history of PokerStars!
