F1 stars who enjoy playing poker

lewis hamilton, turkey 2020 — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 stars who enjoy playing poker

A number of F1 stars have been playing their cards right

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Monday 9 October 2023 12:27

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Patience, skill, and focus are attributes that the elite professional poker players and Formula 1 drivers have in common. Throughout the elite end of professional competition and sports, these are characteristics that won’t do you any harm, but for F1 superstars, being able to relax while simultaneously keeping their strategy and mental focus is an effective way to stay sharp between the ears.

Over the years, some of the best drivers in the world have enjoyed their downtime by taking up the card-based casino game, but today, we will look at current drivers who enjoy taking to the tables.

Sir Lewis Hamilton

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A couple of years ago, Lewis Hamilton received the highest possible honour in the United Kingdom, the prefix of Sir, and was ordained as an official knight of the realm. Few past or present drivers can match the skill levels shown by the Mercedes driver over the last fifteen years.

He currently sits at the top of the all-time list next to Michael Schumacher, with both men tied on seven world championships. Off the track, he has starred in films, recorded music with some of the world’s biggest pop stars, and is a regular on late-night chat shows worldwide.

Lewis Hamilton has been working with Louis Vuitton of late

The Stevenage man is closing in on the end of a fabulous career, and although it’s less likely that he will surpass Schumacher in the all-time list, his legacy is already set in stone. Many fans have started to speculate about his plans post-retirement, whether to pursue his acting career, add to his music catalog, or focus on his other interests, such as poker. Since Hamilton has several ventures to which he dedicates his time, many fans are unaware of his fondness for the card-based casino game.

Online Poker Or Land-Based?

As his career begins to wind down, Hamilton has been spotted at poker tables, playing high-roller games and sampling some online games, too, so he seems to enjoy both. Online poker works differently from land-based casino poker games, removing the need to study body language and putting less emphasis on psyching your opponent out.

Still, both enjoy a substantial audience and as live casino gaming continues to strengthen the gambling industry as a whole, it is the unique games like online poker that open up the industry to much broader numbers of international gamblers. Although Hamilton isn’t an avid player, he is partial to the game, and given that he is a global superstar and one of the most recognisable faces in F1, this helps to bolster the standing of poker in the eyes of many F1 fans.

Fernando Alonso

Spaniard Fernando Alonso is one player who prefers to play land-based poker instead of online games. For over a decade, he’s been pictured at some of the world’s most luxury casinos playing at high-roller poker tables. At 42 years old, he is one of the oldest drivers in F1 history.

While he might not be putting in the same performances that saw him rise to the pinnacle of the sport in the mid-2000s, culminating in two championships, he’s still performing well enough to earn his place in elite-level racing. Still, he lives up to his entertaining ways, advising fellow professionals and not beating around the bush in his interviews.

Sergio Perez

Although Max Verstappen seems to be operating on a dimension above any of his fellow F1 drivers over the last 12 months, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is often challenging for the best of the chasing pack. Despite a worrying dip in form, the Mexican is still second behind the now three-time champion Verstappen, and he will likely finish the season behind his team-mate in the overall ranking.

One arena where Perez often fares better is when he’s playing poker, an adept and intelligent operator on the table. Perez has played in charity games against fellow big names and also enjoys playing the iconic card-based casino game in his spare time, too.

Conclusion

The players we have touched on today are just a few active drivers who enjoy playing poker when they’re not jetting around the world and racing against their elite counterparts. Although some media stories cast aspersions surrounding the actual reasons Lewis Hamilton moved to Monaco, the fact he started to enjoy poker more in the latter stages of his career may tie into this move.

Given the privacy afforded to the rich people who live there, it seems there’s more than one reason why celebrities who enjoy poker would decide to uproot their lives and gain citizenship.

F1 stars have the luxury of moving to wherever they like in the world, especially those consistently finishing on the podium and bringing in millions of dollars for their team. Many of these drivers enjoy poker, and there are even more pros from days gone by that have an affinity for the card-based casino game, too.