Thomas Gravesen Poker Earnings

After earning millions throughout his career, former Everton and Real Madrid midfielder Thomas Gravesen decided to invest his earnings in becoming a professional poker player in Las Vegas – now. After gathering a staggering £80 million fortune since retirement, Gravesen now lives in Las Vegas with his Czech origin US model wife Kamila Persse and spends his days playing the Vegas poker circuits. Thomas Gravesen has a footballing CV boasting the likes of Everton, Real Madrid and Celtic, as well as 66 caps for Denmark.

From fist pumps to bust-ups, from Goodison to the Bernabeu, the story of Thomas Gravesen is certainly a unique one.

Gravesen started his career with his hometown club of Vejle in 1995. He quickly gained an impressive reputation as he took to the Danish league with a bang. Playing often as a defensive midfielder initially, an array of assured displays in his debut season helped carry Vejle to second place and a silver medal in the cup final.

The following season, in 1997 he went south of the border to join Bundesliga outfit Hamburg. Gravesen’s impressive displays for Hamburg earned him his first international call-up as he debuted for the Danish national team in a 0-1 friendly defeat to the Czech Republic on 19th August 1998. Denmark’s’ National team Head Coach Bo Johansson selected Gravesen for the 2000 European Championship but as the Dane’s playing reputation continued to grow, so did question marks over his explosive personality. This led to Bo Johansson admitting Gravesen nearly missed out on selection for the tournament as Johansson questioned whether the midfielder was ‘’psychologically stable’’.

Despite a poor tournament in which Denmark finished bottom of Group D, Gravesen performed well, attracting the attention of big clubs in England and France. On 1st July 2000, Everton signed Gravesen for £3.15m. Gravesen’s hard-tackling and aggressive style of play suited England perfectly and he quickly became a fan favourite at Goodison Park. In the proceeding years he became an integral part of David Moyes’ Everton side and he built a formidable midfielder partnership alongside fellow follically challenged midfielder Lee Carsley. In the 2004/05 season, playing in a more advanced role, Gravesen was instrumental in guiding Everton to a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.

Despite his influential role at Goodison Park, the football world was shocked when that year Galacticos Real Madrid tabled a £3m bid for Gravesen. With his contract winding down at Everton, the Toffees reluctantly accepted the offer and Madrid signed Gravesen with a view to playing him in a holding midfield position, which was somewhat different to the one he had prospered in for Everton that year. For Madrid, Gravesen was viewed as the best replacement for the recently departed Claude Makelele, however stories circulated some years later that Real Madrid scouts had witnessed Lee Carsley put in an assured defensive midfielder display for Everton that year and they actually got him mixed up with Gravesen. Unsurprisingly, the move didn’t work out well for either party.

Gravesen started well, scoring on his debut in a 4-0 win against Espanyol, but he was never at the level of his Galactico teammates. After his good start he fell out of favour after the coach who signed him, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, was sacked. He often found himself on the bench, coming on for the last few minutes of games. In January 2006 he looked set to leave but new coach, Lopez Caro, liked Gravesen and brought him back into the first-team fold. Such is the revolving door at the Santiago Bernabeu, towards the end of that year he was in the bad books again, with another new coach, Fabio Capello. After a hard tackle on Robinho in training, a scuffle broke out which signalled the end for Gravesen’s time at Madrid.

Fabio Capello said at the time 'The way he is, we won't have problems with him. He's just a little bit particular. I don't mess with him, he works well tactically. His behaviour is like this, and I don't like it, everything has to be done like he wants it to be done’’. Shortly after the incident he agreed on a move to Celtic. Despite his hindered ability on the pitch in comparison to the likes of Guti, Beckham and Zidane, the fans of Los Blancos remember the Dane fondly, most notably for his 'Gravesinha' move against Sevilla.

WHAT a life!

When former Everton and Real Madrid hardman Thomas Gravesen hung up his boots at the age of 33, even he could never have thought retirement would've gone so smoothly.

Yet 15 years to the day since joining Real Madrid, the Danish international, who was famed for his tough-tackling that earned him the nickname 'Mad Dog', is now living a life of luxury in Las Vegas.

He is astonishingly said to have made around £100m from investments and playing poker since he last kicked a ball.

His riches mean that he lives in a mansion behind a private community, where his neighbours include the likes of Hollywood star Nicolas Cage and tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

And if that's not all, Gravesen, now 43, has settled down in Sin City with a gorgeous Czech model… Jealous? You will be.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

Gravesen didn't do too bad in the game financially.

In fact, at the height of his fame – playing at the Bernabeu – he was reportedly earning £85,000-per-week in 2005.

According to Danish tabloid BT, knowing he needed to plan for a life after football, Gravesen invested his wages into several financial businesses.

And luckily, the Dane struck gold – making tens of millions when many of his investments came through.

BT didn't say what Gravesen gambled his money on, but they revealed he took his dosh and ran… to Las Vegas!

VIVA LAS VEGAS

With money in his pocket and dollar signs in his eyes, 'Mad Dog' went to Sin City to start a new chapter in his life at the age of 37.

And armed with a bank balance that would make your eyes water, he wasn't going to do it half-heartedly.

Danish tabloid BT claimed Gravesen took his newly made fortune to the casinos – where he enjoyed games of poker.

But, because he's not so well-known in the US, he was able to fly under the radar, and just appeared to be another high-roller.

HIS ACCOMPLICE

Thomas Gravesen Poker Earnings History

One of the reasons Gravesen is said to have moved to America was because of the love of a good woman.

The man who once play-wrestled Ronaldo during training, knocking one of his teeth out in the process, fell in love with Czech-American stunner, Kamila Persse.

BT reported that he followed her to the States, they married, and the pair are said to love the Las Vegas casino circuit, as well as the clubs and bars.

Now 41, she regularly joins him in games of poker, blackjack and roulette.

A retired model, Persse has since taken up real estate, working for an established US firm.

WHERE'S HIS DIGS?

The wealthy people of Las Vegas either live in a fancy penthouse at the top of a casino, or behind a private, gated community.

The latter is how Gravesen likes it, who clearly likes to have his privacy respected.

According to reports, Gravesen settled into Summerlin, an affluent area that lies at the edge of the Spring Mountains with Red Rock Canyon to the west.

National Geographic Adventure named it the number one place to live and play in 2007.

And with the area boasting residents with an average annual income of £120,000, you can imagine a property there doesn't come cheap.

Gravesen's home can be found behind the gated community of Canyon Fairways, which is surrounded by incredible golf courses, including TPC Las Vegas, Tournament Players Club Summerlin and Angel Park Golf Club.

Homes inside the compound can cost as much as £5m.

NEED FOR SPEED

With his wealth and lifestyle, you can imagine that Gravesen is riding a tasty motor.

The biography, Mad Dog Gravesen: The Last of the Modern Footballing Mavericks claims he's been spotted driving a Mercedes SLR McLaren.

And carrying a price tag of almost £400,000, you can bet he's careful with it zooming along Nevada's freeways.

Thomas Gravesen Poker Earnings Odds

Only 2,157 Mercedes SLR McLarens were made, and each one was bespoke to the buyer's needs.

Able to hit a top speed of 208 mph, it also shows Gravesen's need for speed.

Thomas Gravesen Poker Earnings Report

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