World number one Rafael Nadal will show his poker skills by taking part in his very first live poker tournament in December, organizers revealed this week.
The Spaniard will take part in a charity poker tournament that will be staged in Prague, Czech Republic on December 12. This is part of the European Poker Tour which will run from December 8 to 18. Nadal has an endorsement deal with onling gaming company PokerStars.
“Rafa will play against some of the biggest names on the international professional poker circuit, along with other sporting legends, who will be announced over the coming weeks,” PokerStars said in a statement.
Nadal had been an active player online during his time off tour due to knee injury.
“I have been playing poker online for almost 18 months and now I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing my first live tournament,” the 27-year old Mallorcan said in a statement.
“It’s no secret that I love the competition and that’s what I like about poker,” he said. “It’s a game of skill that requires mental strength and the ability to out-think your opponents and in that way there are similarities to tennis.”
