Liverpool Soccer Great John Arne Riise Talks Poker

For more than two decades, John Arne Riise battled to keep opponents away from his team’s net for soccer clubs like Liverpool, Fulham, and Roma. Speaking to CoinPoker, the Norwegian soccer star says he now has his sights on keeping opponents away from his growing bankroll.

The former defender was part of a Champions League-winning squad from 2001-08 and is also most-capped player for the Norway national team after appearing in 110 games.

Riise, 44, recently talked about his life in the game, which included receiving some tips from Daniel Negreanu and about dealing with big coolers in World Series of Poker main event.

In fact, Riise loves the game so much that he also explains why winning a WSOP bracelet would mean more than a medal in soccer, revealing that he gets more nervous playing poker than he was even before the league final in 2005.

What is the most memorable game of poker you’ve played in?

[It doesn’t get bigger than] the WSOP main event in Vegas. I’ve played it a few times. It was always a dream to go there and see 6,000 to 7,000 people playing. (10,000 this year!) You watch it on TV, but you don’t see everything behind the scenes.

One year, I made it to day three, after playing for 12 to 14 hours over the first two days. Time flies when you’re playing poker for that long. It was such an amazing experience on the biggest stage. Late on day 2 however, I had pocket kings and I ended up calling an all-in, but the guy had pocket aces. If I’d won that hand, I would’ve been in the top 10 chip leaders, but it wasn’t meant to be.

The disappointment was huge. I was thinking this is my time, but that’s poker. It gives you pleasure and can crush you at the same moment.

There was also a World Cup football (soccer) tournament between poker players, and that is where I met Daniel Negreanu.

Daniel was representing Canada and after that I met him during a football event. He has a strong shot and we’ve kept in touch ever since. He is a great guy and I’m a big fan of his. He’s been helpful with his tips and advice. He is like the Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo of poker.

What advice did Negreanu have for you?

He explained that for the top players, it’s all about positioning and reading the game. They consider everything before making a move, including who’s sitting next to them and how big the bet size is.

I used to just look at my cards and play, but these guys think 10 steps ahead. He spoke a lot about patience. In tournaments, he can sit for four or five hours without playing a single hand. In my world, that’s insane.

He also said if you have a strong hand, play it hard. It’s better to lose playing the right way than to lose playing the wrong way. He also said it’s better to win small than lose big.

What is the most recent tournament you played in?

I recently played in a local Norwegian tournament that some influencers played live on their YouTube channel, and I ended up winning that one, which was good.

I love traveling around Europe and playing. I just like sitting at the table, talking about different things, and you meet people from all over the world. It’s a great way to socialize, and it’s competitive, which is why I like it. I enjoy having something to play for and feeling the pressure.

The poker environment is amazing in Norway. We have so much fun together. For me, it helps my mindset and mental health, because we all have daily struggles, but for me poker, paddle, and golf are my ways to calm down. Poker is my peace and quiet place.
In Norway, we have the )Norwegian Poker Championship_, but there are [betting] limits, as you can only lose a certain amount.

How would you compare playing poker with playing professional soccer?

With poker, it’s just you. When you play football, you depend on your teammates, so it’s a bit different. But after football, golf has been a big part of my life, and lately, I’ve really gotten into paddle.

That’s more competitive, similar to football, where you play against someone and have to practice to get better. I love sports where you have to put the work in to improve. Poker though, is more of a relaxed environment. You can sit down, chill for hours, and talk to people.

Patience is my weakness when playing tournaments, since you might sit there for hours without getting good cards, but I enjoy the social aspect of it. It gives you calmness.
Most people recognize who I am, so it’s easy to start a conversation, at least with people who like football.

It’s competitive but also just chilling, not thinking about anything else. Any time I have a chance to travel the world to play poker or get invited to tournaments, I always say yes.

Are there any shared emotions between playing football and playing poker?

When it comes to tournaments, like in the Champions League, you play so many games and get to the quarterfinal or semifinal, and then lose – it’s quite similar. You get so disappointed.

You’re so close to going all the way, and then you lose at the end. Most of the time in football, it’s because of a personal mistake. I scored an own goal against Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League semi-final. That was the worst feeling I’ve ever had on a football pitch.

It’s kind of the same with poker. You’re so close, and one mistake just kills it. In poker, you have a strong hand, you feel like it’s your moment, and then something happens.

Behind the scenes at Liverpool, did you guys play cards to relax?

On bus trips, we mostly played Mario Kart competitions on small consoles, but sometimes we played cards. We loved competing, whether it was ping pong, pool, or cards.

It’s just natural for athletes. We’ve spent our whole lives competing to be the best, so it’s just part of who we are. We used to play three-card poker. Michael Owen (striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Stoke City, and the England national team) was quite good; Owen was quite good at everything. He was smart when it came to cards. He was just good; he didn’t try to trick you.

But at the end of the day, it wasn’t about the money, it was about the feeling of winning and competing, thinking about something else on the way to the hotel or just getting our minds off football.

How does preparing for a big poker event compare to the Champions League final nerves?

I’m 100 percent more nervous going into a poker tournament, because it’s not my arena. I remember going to my poker table, shaking, and feeling nervous, thinking, “what if I don’t know the rules?”

You start doubting yourself, and you’re playing against people who are really good. I get nervous in big games in big tournaments because I haven’t trained for it my whole life. But in football, for any final, it didn’t bother me.

I knew what I could do, how good I was, and that I deserved to be there. In poker, it’s more about trying not to mess up, remembering bet sizes and how to play your cards. I’d just look at what other players were doing and try to mimic them.

*Photos courtesy of John Arne Riise on IG (@jariiseofficial)