Professional poker players, Dan Smith and Markus Gonsalves, recently played a game of tennis as part of a prop bet.
In this game, Gonsalves, who had won the 2020 WPT Gardens Poker Championship, had to use a frying pan instead of a tennis racquet, although he was allowed to wrap the handle for a better grip.
Despite the disadvantage, Gonsalves managed to defeat Smith, who is one of the highest-earning live tournament players ever, by a score of 6-2. Smith had placed a bet on himself to win with odds of +150. Smith has joked about a possible rematch, suggesting that Gonsalves would have to use a baseball bat next time. In a previous match, Gonsalves had won using his weaker left hand against Smith. After the match, Gonsalves even posted a picture of himself frying eggs with the same pan he used to win the game on Twitter.
Despite his defeat in the tennis match against Markus Gonsalves, Dan Smith quickly bounced back by winning the $25,000 High Roller event at the US Poker Open, just a few days later. Smith's victory in the event earned him $400,000. He also finished fifth in another event, the $50,000 event, which earned him an additional $150,000. So, while he may have experienced a humiliating loss on the tennis court, he was able to regain his confidence and prove his skill in his primary profession of poker.