button in SafariHigh-Stakes Poker Player Who Swapped Cards for Crops Returns to the WSOP
Before Michael Rocco won his first World Series of Poker bracelet two years ago, he'd already decided he was leaving poker behind.
When PokerNews caught up with the high-stakes player during the 2024 WSOP, the conversation wasn't about solvers, Player of the Year races, or the growing list of near-misses that had come to define his career. Instead, Rocco revealed he was preparing to step away from the game to pursue regenerative farming.
And then a few hours later, he finally won the bracelet he'd spent years chasing.
For most players, finally reaching the top would have been the beginning of another chapter. For Rocco, it simply meant he got to leave exactly how he'd hoped.
PokerNews caught up with the now 36-year-old to see how life is on the farm, and whether the poker grind is something that he yearns to go back to.