{"id":27756,"date":"2021-05-15T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=27756"},"modified":"2021-05-13T10:33:56","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T15:33:56","slug":"what-ever-happened-to-tony-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/what-ever-happened-to-tony-g\/","title":{"rendered":"What Ever Happened To Tony G?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Antanas Guoga, better known as \u201cTony G\u201d, is one of the most colorful characters that the poker world has ever seen.  Although not a professional player by the strictest definition, Guoga certainly used to spend a lot of his time playing poker<\/a> all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Tony G to become one of\nthe fans\u2019 favorites since his larger-than-life personality made him perfect for\ntelevised events and shows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guoga may not have been on the same skill<\/a> level as some of the opponents he met across the felt, but when it came to banter and table talk, there was no one who could keep up with G-man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you happen to be a fan of Antanas Guoga,\nyou\u2019ve probably noticed he hasn\u2019t been around nearly as much. Once a regular\nguest on all high-profile shows, mixing it up with the best of the best, Tony G\nhas seemingly taken a step away from the tables to focus on other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what has he been up to lately? Will he be\ncoming back, or is he more interested his other political and business\nendeavors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tony
Image: Twitter\/TonyGuoga<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Did Antanas Guoga Become Tony G?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before looking at Tony G\u2019s current whereabouts,\nit\u2019s interesting to see how he came to be such an important part of the poker\nscene in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike many others, Guoga fell in love with\npoker because the game captured his imagination and provided the kind of\nexcitement he was looking for, rather than offering a way to make money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony was born in Lithuania in 1973, but when he\nwas 11, his family moved to Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There, he studied accounting and finance,\ntaking up a job with an investment bank in Hong Kong after finishing his\nstudies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Tony G always loved playing cards<\/a>, his first real contact with poker came in 2002. It was in this year that Guoga created PokerNews.com, a poker news portal that would grow to become the absolute media leader in this space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tony
Image: YouTube<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His first recorded live results date back to\n2002 as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony started his poker career<\/a> on a more conservative side, as his early tournaments were mostly lower buy-ins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2004, Tony had his first major result. He\nfinished second in the WPT Grand Prix de Paris event, banking $415,000 for his\nefforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not long after, in 2005, he managed to triumph\nin the European Poker Championships taking place in London, earning more than\n$450,000 in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony G\u2019s biggest career scores actually came in\nmore recent times, primarily in 2018 and 2019, helping to bring his total\nwinnings to over $7.2 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, between 2012 and 2017, Guoga almost\nentirely disappeared from the poker scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He still stayed in touch with the poker world,\nbut he wasn’t nearly as present at the tables, and he was notably missing from\ntelevised events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what happened to Tony G during these years,\nand what was so important that he would put aside the game that he enjoyed so\nmuch?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony G\u2019s Political Career<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

I became a parliamentary group leader for relations with Australia and Oceania. I know the land well…even if it is far away! I will still coordinate the work of the parliament with China! pic.twitter.com\/9Xo96NZReu<\/a><\/p>— Tony G (@TonyGuoga) December 5, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>