Fans of professional sports and entertainment are now used to the idea of the world's
biggest performers enjoying poker as 8️⃣ a side hobby. Actors Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire
are among the most well-recognized celebrity poker players, but plenty of 8️⃣ athletes,
from Rafael Nadal to Tiger Woods, have also made headlines because of attachments to
the game, and casino gaming 8️⃣ in general. Well, John Cena was among these poker athletes
and celebrities nearly a decade ago, and it's actually very 8️⃣ interesting to view his
comments on the subject in retrospect.In 2006, John Cena told Bluff that he became a
poker 8️⃣ fan and player as a result of the increasing exposure of the game, at the time,
in popular entertainment markets. 8️⃣ Specifically, Cena credited the televising of the
World Series of Poker, as well as the film(for which a sequel is 8️⃣ in the works ) with
sparking his interest. This is a fairly common theme among celebrity poker players, and
some 8️⃣ of the most established pros even credit these same things with helping to launch
their careers. This is fascinating to 8️⃣ remember eight years later. Given that Cena was
one out of tens of millions of poker fans to take up 8️⃣ the game in the first decade of
the 21st century, it's no surprise just how huge the poker industry has 8️⃣ become
today.But there are also aspects of amateur poker interest that have changed, and those
too are evident in Cena's 8️⃣ comments. When asked if he frequently plays while on the
road, Cena claimed his primary playing experience came at his 8️⃣ own home in games he
organized. Also, while wrestlers played card games on the road, it usually wasn't as
intense 8️⃣ as real money Texas Hold'em.For all we know that's still the case today, but
given the incredible rise of online 8️⃣ poker internationally and in parts of the U.S.,
it's also easy to imagine that people like John Cena have more 8️⃣ serious options while on
the go. Even in the U.S. there are options. Certain apps allow players to access
accounts 8️⃣ remotely and play casino games with real money on the line, which is a very
convenient option for athletes and 8️⃣ performers like Cena who spend a great deal of time
on the road. If 2006 saw pro wrestlers opting for 8️⃣ simple card games over full-fledged
poker competition, it's easy to envision them using mobile phones and tablets to get a
8️⃣ bit more serious these days.And finally, Cena made the somewhat-prophetic observation
that professional poker was becoming so popular that some 8️⃣ high-profile players were
beginning to establish themselves as performers and characters. They were almost, Cena
said, like WWE wrestlers. This 8️⃣ has only become more accurate over time. Poker News '
current #1 worldwide player, Ole Schemion, is known for a 8️⃣ sort of carefree college boy
style, often sporting fraternity-style sunglasses and sleeveless shirts and hoodies at
the tables; Chris Ferguson 8️⃣ was known for years as "Jesus" simply due to his appearance;
and even youngster WSOP winner Dan Colman has developed 8️⃣ a sort of persona simply by
being serious and soft-spoken. With so much focus on individual habits, appearance, and
performance, 8️⃣ it was probably inevitable that poker players would develop these types of
public personalities. But it was certainly an interesting 8️⃣ observation by Cena in the
relatively early days of televised poker.Ultimately, John Cena maintains a pretty low
profile among celebrity 8️⃣ poker players, and he has yet to make any noise at a major
event. But given how many pro athletes 8️⃣ and performers take an interest in the game, he
seems to have had an oddly perceptive understanding of the meaning 8️⃣ and direction of
professional poker over the years. Here's hoping he finds his way to a big time table
one 8️⃣ day!
