John Juanda(credit: Betfair Poker)
Annie Duke made a splash on the Celebrity Apprentice. Which poker player should follow in her footsteps?
The Celebrity Apprentice 2 was a huge success in no small part due to Annie Duke’s performance on the show. The poker player came in second on the show – and many thought she should have won. Annie showed class, poise, skill and more. She was a great ambassador for poker and a savvy player.
Daniel Negreanu has also said he’d be interested in doing the Celebrity Apprentice. He’d have been our top pick to go on a show like that. Why? Negreanu is entertaining, interesting, ruthless and likeable. Now, if that’s not a winning combination … we don’t know what is.
However, since we can’t pick him, we thought – who else would be great for reality TV? We chose five poker players that we absolutely adore for the Celebrity Apprentice and give some reasons. If you agree (or disagree), give us a shout out in the comments section.
Here goes:
John Juanda – this former Bible salesman definitely has the entrepreneurial spirit that Trump would be seeking. He’s also a formidable opponent. Nothing gets under his skin. He couldn’t be goaded into the drama and would probably rise above it, showing that strategy and skill go a long way even on reality TV.
Phil Hellmuth – where Juanda is quiet, Hellmuth is …well, not. The Poker Brat would work hard, be ruthless and take no prisoners. He’d also take no stuff from anyone and would call people out on their mistakes and more. Hellmuth and Trump facing off in the board room would also be a treat because we don’t think The Donald scares The Madison Kid.
Phil Ivey – perhaps the best poker player in the world today, Phil Ivey is an unsinkable rock. He’s tough, determined and a great strategist. With his icy stare, he could strike fear in the hearts of his opponents, and we’d love to see it.
Mike Matusow – Matusow may not be as strategic a player as say Ivey or Juanda, but he sure is emotional. Like Hellmuth, he’d say what was on his mind and without censoring himself. Matusow would be the ultimate bad guy of the season, but perhaps one you’d wind up rooting for because he would be no pushover in any of the tasks.
Patrik Antonius – Patrik is our pick not just for his high stakes skill. A former athlete, Antonius is highly competitive and would give his all to every task. Besides, he’s just a dream to look at and would make tuning in each week a real treat.