NFL Star 'Gronk' Finds New Rival in Antonio Esfandiari in Lively Poker Game
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Rob Gronkowski will one day make the Hall of Fame, but it clearly won't be the Poker Hall of Fame.
The legendary New England Patriots tight end made his televised poker debut on the PokerStars Big Game on Tour Season 2, where he struck up a bit of a rivalry with longtime poker pro Antonio Esfandiari. "Gronk," one of Tom Brady's favorite targets on four Super Bowl championship teams, became a target of the "Magician" during the $100/$200 no-limit hold'em cash game.
"This is the Gronk's first time playing cards on TV. If the right opportunity rises where I can put him to the test, I will act on it," Esfandiari said before the six players took their seats, each buying in for $50,000, except for Esfandiari, who began with $100,000.
The talkative table also included sports talk personality Nick Wright, poker champion Phil Hellmuth, pro slot machines player and tournament poker crusher Rania Nasreddine, and the "Loose Cannon," Luke Wakelin.
Wakelin, a Brit who grew up in Florida, made some aggressive plays you don't normally see from the Loose Cannon, recreational players staked to play in the PokerStars-branded TV poker game. He also claims to be a rapper who sung a song so offensive that half the words had to be bleeped out. But the biggest action at the table came from Gronk and Esfandiari.
From the Gridiron to the Felt
The game started with Nasreddine, who reached consecutive PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) final tables in 2024, informing Gronkowski how to properly look at his hole cards so his opponents can't see them. Gronk then limped from under the gun with K♦8♣ before Wright, in the small blind with A♣J♣, raised to $1,000 and took down the first pot.
Gronk began to pick up the basics of the game, however. He didn't show much aggression, but he also didn't make many loose calls, typically folding to a bet if he missed the flop. Esfandiari would pick on the inexperienced players — Gronk and Wakelin — in an early pot, putting them both to the test with a massive over-bet.
Gronkowski limped from the cutoff with A♠7♦ before Esfandiari raised to $800 on the button with 9♣4♣. Wakelin, who found A♣8♣ in the big blind, called, as did the retired NFL superstar. The flop came out 3♠4♠7♣, two players pairing up.
Wakelin checked, giving Gronkowski an opportunity to bet his top pair, which he did for $1,500. Both players called to see the J♣ give them each a flush draw. Action checked to Esfandiari, and he used his big stack to take advantage of the recreational players by putting them all in for $50,000, nearly seven times the size of the pot.
The Loose Cannon, although he was drawing to the nut flush, had to fold ace-high because if he were to call and lose, he would be out of the game. Gronkowski was also in a tough spot with the jack on the turn trumping his flopped top pair. He also decided to fold and potentially wait for a better spot.
Gronk, whose dad and brother were in attendance, saw a flop he liked in a hand against Esfandiari — 6♣9♥J♦.
"This is my hand, by the way," he informed his opponent before acting on the flop.
"What is? Jack, nine, six?" Esfandiari asked.
"Six, nine, and I'm the jack of all trades," Gronk joked, which brought laughter from the table.
In that same hand, Gronk was put to the test with A♥Q♣ after the Q♠ appeared on the turn to give him top pair, and the 4♦ landed on the river. With $14,500 in the pot and $45,900 behind in his stack, he checked the river. Esfandiari, once again, moved all in, and he was turning third pair — 9♠7♠ — into a bluff. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer once again, despite having the best hand, was forced to fold.
There weren't any monster pots during the first episode with this lively table. But there was plenty of table talk, including Esfandiari and Gronk razzing Hellmuth for repeatedly name-dropping his celebrity friends. When all was said and done, through 23 hands, Nasreddine had turned the largest profit, up $14,000. The Loose Cannon, who can only cash out profits won across 150 hands, was down $17,400.
Esfandiari is off to a strong start, up $12,500. Gronkowski, the player he's been targeting, is down $14,400. The second episode with these six players will air next Sunday morning on the PokerStars YouTube channel.
Current Results (23 Hands Played)
