The WSOP Sees Antoine Winfield Surface

(Photo: Reviewjournal.com)

Antoine Winfield is a retired American football cornerback who played in the NFL for 15 years. During his decorated career he played five seasons for the Buffalo Bills and nine seasons for the Minnesota Vikings before retiring at the age of 36 after failing to make the cut at the Seattle Seahawks. After retiring, Winfield had kept a relatively low profile until he emerged this past weekend at the World Series of Poker.

Antoine has taken up poker as a retirement hobby and has soon found himself competing in the $10,000 Main Event at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino alongside former New England Patriots defensive tackle Richard Seymour. He was seen wearing a pair of sunglasses, headphones over his ears and his iPad at hand as he studied the cards he’d been dealt.

Winfield admits that his NFL career dovetailed with the poker boom of the early 2000’s and the former NFL star was inspired after Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event in 2003. Like many others, Antoine felt that if an average Joe like Moneymaker could walk into the WSOP and walk away with the top prize, then so can anybody. Through poker, Winfield has found a way to replace the heavily competitive environment he was missing after retiring from the National Football League.

Professional poker can be a very long drawn out game so, to prevent himself from getting bored, Winfield was playing online chess against his former Vikings teammate Adrian Peterson to keep himself active.

(Photo: Reviewjournal.com)

Day one in the World Series of Poker didn’t go to plan for Antoine as he busted out in the main event and finished in 231st place with £2,391 in a $1,500 No-limit Hold ‘em Poker event for his first cash in a major tournament. Maybe Winfield should check out a poker for beginners guide before he heads into his next tournament. Antoine’s friend Richard Seymour did advance, albeit with one solitary chip. This is Seymour’s chance to prove the age-old adage that all you need to play poker is a chip and a chair.

Antoine’s son, creatively named Antoine Winfield Jr, is set to debut for the Minnesota Golden Gophers later this year. When Antoine Sr comes back to Minnesota to watch his son play, he could well end up in the poker room at Treasure Island. After all, Winfield will need the practice as he has a long way to go become he comes anywhere close to equaling the achievement of the great Chris Moneymaker.