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Name: Patrik Antonius
Born: December 13, 1980
Birth Place: Vantaa, Finland
Current Residence: Las Vegas
Patrik Antonius is considered as one of the most accomplished gaming personalities among the crop of young poker players. But this young poker “upstart” is definitely a standout even among the young breed of card players and is now creating some noise in the poker circuit not only for his skills on the green felt but also for his innate talent in combining his impressive bankroll with his poker winnings that now runs into millions of dollars. You cannot help but envy this guy for what he has achieved after just a short period of time. Blessed with a Brad-Pitt look, an Israeli stunner for a fiancée and a charming baby girl, it would not be surprising if one wonders why this guy has all the luck.
A native of Vantaa, Finland, Antonius comes from a working class family. A highly-spirited and hyper-active lad, Antonius played hockey, tennis and soccer during his teen years. He particularly stood out while playing tennis, and when he was 13 years old, his coach described him as Wimbledon-material. But life for Antonius did not turn out as it would have been wished for by his coach. He took a completely different path altogether. A serious injury he suffered during his training sidelined him for more than a year, and it was during this long layoff that he was initially introduced to poker by friends. He continued to play the game throughout high school and the stakes grew as well.
It was when he turned 18 that Patrick had his initial foray at the card table and got a taste of the real action. He took part in a game in Casino Helsinki, which was Finland’s only casino during that time. During that fateful event, he ran away with the top $225 top prize of the weekly Hold’em event. Becoming the winner in his very first outing is already a great feat, but what makes this one really amazing was that Antonius had not even played Hold’em in the past!
Antonius graduated from the Business College of Helsinki and joined the army for the required service. He made another go of a career in tennis. However, another back injury sidelined him while at the height of his training. It was then that he decided that it was not meant to be and that he was fated for something that is completely different from the career in sports that he had been chasing for years. He rechanneled his efforts to the next thing that is closest to his heart – a career as a professional poker player.
The initial years saw Antonius parlaying forgettable stints on the Omaha tables. It was at best a slow start for him. Instead of losing steam in his drive to a more profitable career in poker, Antonius persevered and continued to improve his craft until his dedication finally paid off. With higher stakes and armed with growing confidence, this self-taught poker player finally hit it big. During the summer of 2002, this poker upstart went on a searing winning streak and built his bankroll up and took a position side by side with other known players of the card game during that time. The winning run was only broken when he went into a brief 3-month hiatus to go on culinary internship in several Italian restaurants.
Upon his return to Scandinavia the following year, Antonius tried his hand at online poker and in a span of 2 months raised his bankroll from $200 to $20,000 while going on multi-table poker plays. It was after his winning streak in online poker that he decided to focus his energies on poker.
His popularity as a professional poker player has risen significantly as he continued to rack up substantial winnings in dizzying succession. Coupled with his good looks, it is not surprising that he is now considered as the poster boy of poker. Antonius has also appeared in several TV specials and shows. He was featured in the poker instructional video of Marcel Luske entitled “Poker: My Way” and in the “High Stakes Poker” of GSN.
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