Wolfsburg striker and avid poker fan, Max Kruse, has been fined €25,000 by his club after it became common knowledge that he left €75,000 in the back of a cab after a good day at the World Series of Poker Europe tables in Berlin.
It was the 2014 World Series of Poker (WSOP) that the press learned of Max Kruse’s penchant for poker. The German star was playing for Borussia Monchengladbach at the time. He came close to winning a bracelet in Event #36: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball, finishing third for $36,494.
Kruse signed a four-year deal to join Wolfsburg in 2015. To celebrate he competed in the €2,200 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Eureka High Roller in Hamburg bubbling the final table for a €3,930 payout. He had the bug. That summer he returned to the WSOP and finished 26th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) Championships for $23,500.
It was a no-brainer that Kruse would compete at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) festival when it set up camp in Berlin. He didn’t cash in any of the tournaments, but he did have a great day at the cash game tables the day after scoring a hat trick in a 4-2 win over Hoffenheim.
That’s when things go a little sour for Kruse.
According to press reports emanating from the German site Bild, Kruse left his €75,000 winnings in a taxi cab. He contacted the fuzz in a bid to have the money returned (he still hasn’t received a cent), and the subsequent media exposure led to his club fining him a further €25,000 for not seeking permission to play in the event.
Reacting to the media coverage the mishap received, Wolfsburg’s sporting executive, Klaus Allofs, who used to look a lot like Adolf Hitler during his playing days, told the press that as a professional footballer, Kruse’s only personal time is when he is in his bed.
“We can only hope that he has been taught a lesson and will change his behaviour.” Said Allofs.
Did I say he used to look like Adolf?
Kruse, 27, has played 23 times for Wolfsburg and scored six goals. Last season, they finished runner-up to Bayern Munich to qualify for the Champions League where they have reached the quarterfinals. They are eighth in the Bundesliga after a disappointing season.
Kruse is not the only footballer currently involved in the game who likes to play poker in his spare time. Neymar and Ronaldo are both sponsored by PokerStars with Neymar appearing and performing at European Poker Tour (EPT) events. Barcelona centre-half Gerard Pique has also competed at EPT and WSOP events.
He is also not the only footballer fined for playing poker. In Dec 2014, Italian club Udinese sacked former Liverpool winger Albert Riera after he failed to turn up for a game against Chievo instead preferring to compete in a poker tournament in Slovenia.
