Tony G is, by far, one of the most popular and prominent players of poker in the world. After he took a short break, he is back and better than ever. So, let’s take a look back at his career from the get-go.
With an impressive career that sets him apart, the poker mastermind has been moving the limits of the game ever since he stepped on the scene. Now that he has returned to the scene, we are expecting that he will shake the industry up all over again.
So, what is it that makes Antanas Guoga a great poker player? What sets him apart from the rest and what’s the latest news on his poker career? Without further ado, let’s get into it.
The poker player that everyone knows about
Usually called Tony G, Antanas was born in 1973 in Lithuania. After moving to Australia in early childhood, he went and studied finance and accounting while gaining practical skills working in this same field.
His early career was already blooming by the time he turned 20 when he went to Hong Kong to join an investment bank, continuing his professional life in finance. After some time, he came back to Australia where he began putting money toward tech and his poker career.
With an infatuation for quality games and puzzles, Guoga discovered his love for poker at the age of 15, following years of adoration of the complexity and challenges of the infamous Rubik’s Cube.
By the age of 18, he established himself as a familiar face at Melbourne’s most sought tables. It is said that he played so well he had a hard time finding any good opponents.
Before turning 21, he already amassed a wealth of $200 000, and his dedication to poker was only starting to get more serious. With that came great new opportunities.
How Tony G shaped the world of poker
With opponents difficult to find, and online gambling on the rise, Tony G turned to the world of online poker. No longer bound by the lack of opponents and location, this is where he found immediate success, quickly establishing himself as the guy to keep your eyes on.
With earnings to match the fun, new opportunities kept arising; he was earning enough money playing online to sustain his life. Not only this, but the earnings enabled him to compete in tournaments live.
This way, online earnings made sure he had enough to cover his living and playing.
His first in-person tournament occurred in 2001 when he participated in EWOSP. Following this 2001 loss, he won against Devilfish at the World Heads Up Omaha Championship in 2002. In 2003, Tony was already at the tables at the Five Diamond Poker Classic.
2004 came and most important playing venues had his name on the list. It was difficult to find an important tournament that he was not taking part in. In 2004 alone, he participated in 10 huge tables, such as the Grand Prix de Paris of WPT, where he came in second place. The money followed and this win alone brought him a staggering $400 000.
In 2005, he won $500 000 at the European Poker Championships, in addition to other placements at various tournaments. The following year matched successes when he again got a whopping $500 000 at the Betfair Asian Poker Tour.
Soon enough, as he was set on WSOP and EPT, he started attracting big-name sponsors and was approached to partake in televised events. This is where he gained widespread popularity and a strong following. An important aspect of his work is also the fact that a part of the mass earnings has always been donated to different charities worldwide.
Tony G poker in 2022
Winning a huge array of important poker events at various levels and across continents over several decades, we are now seeing him taking second place at the PokerGO Tour in Venice and the Triton Poker Series Madrid in the last few months alone.
With a longstanding career, both in person and online, Tony G is sure to provoke more enthusiasm and excitement, while rocking the poker world. One of the most recent things that he has been leading the industry into is also his humanitarian aid to war-torn Ukraine.
