Will We See Richard Seymour at the 2025 World Series Of Poker?

Retired NFL star and Patriots legend Richard Seymour is undoubtedly one of the best defensive ends of our time. In 2020, the three-time Super Bowl champ was named one of the league’s top 15 Modern-Era Player Finalists. Two years later, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

However, his success didn’t stop when he retired in 2012—because that’s when he decided to become a professional poker player. In fact, Sportskeeda names him as the most prosperous sportsperson to play the card game in a competitive setting. To date, he’s won over $793,789 in total live earnings. That’s a far cry from tennis’ Borris Becker, who takes second place with $116,416. 

Of all the professional events Seymour participated in, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is arguably the most prestigious. Boasting an illustrious history dating back to 1970, the annual Las Vegas event is famous for attracting the best players from all over the world.

Granted, Seymour really only played in the tournament twice and made his last appearance at its 2023 edition. That said, the question of whether he’ll attend this year is up in the air. However, one can argue that he’s likely to show up in Paradise, Nevada to make another deep tournament run—because Richard Seymour is not the kind of guy who knows when, or wants, to quit. That’s because:

He’s competitive 

If there’s one word to describe Seymour, it’s definitely competitive. Immediately after he was drafted by the Patriots in 2001, he started a defensive tackle that helped the team win that year’s Super Bowl over the heavily-favored St. Louis Rams. Two years later, he contributed to its victory against the Carolina Panthers at the same event—making it the team’s second time to win the championship in a span of three years—and started yet another winning Super Bowl game against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. 

The Patriots then extended his contract to 2009, after which he was traded to the then-Oakland Raiders. In 2011, he became the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player when the team offered him a contract extension worth over $30 million. Following this, he became a free agent and primarily played for the Atlanta Falcons before finishing his career in 2012. Aside from earning three Super Bowl rings, he’s played in seven Pro Bowls and was named to five All-Pro teams. Seymour has also been inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. 

The competitive spirit that fueled his NFL achievements is one of the biggest reasons Seymour was drawn to poker after retirement. “I really get to compete from a mental intelligence standpoint,” he said of his new sport. “At the end of the day I bring it back to wanting to win, and you want to build a winner.” 

With such a strong drive for success, there’s no reason why Seymour shouldn’t take another shot at the WSOP’s main event this year—especially since he has a high appetite for risk. 

He’s a risk-taker 

His competitiveness means Seymour is also willing to take risks. Just last year, he bought a stake in the Raiders, making him a minority owner alongside former Patriots teammate Tom Brady. The fact that he took this chance may be explained by how he’s used poker to hone his risk assessment skills. 

“The game of poker [is] about people, relationships and situations where you have to make really good decisions on the spot,” he explained. “It keeps me mentally engaged and wanting to keep playing at a really high level. I enter a lot of tournaments where I’m playing against some of the best players in the world.” That’s arguably why he joined the WSOP twice. The 2023 edition he attended was particularly special: it marked the 20th anniversary of Chris Moneymaker’s iconic win. 

Moneymaker was an accountant who qualified online with just $86. He then won the WSOP’s $2.5 million grand prize in 2003—kickstarting the poker boom. Today, he works with Americas Cardroom to continue promoting the sport. One way the US’ biggest online poker site helped him do so was by launching the Moneymaker Tour in 2023. Initially US-based, it now spans international destinations like Aruba and Montreal. 

At the 2023 WSOP, Seymour made it to Day 5 of the main event—just like Moneymaker—by taking multiple risks to show seasoned pros that he wasn’t an amateur. At one point, he even took out two players with a single hand, demonstrating his ability to play on the same level as the 2003 champ. Participating in the 2025 WSOP means he can prove his mettle once again.

He has a long history with professional poker 

One other key indicator that Seymour is likely to play at this year’s WSOP is the fact that he has both the skills and experience needed to participate in professional tournaments. After all, he was already playing poker before he retired—the card game was a favorite choice for unwinding with his Patriots teammates in their free time. 

With that initial experience, Seymour began playing professionally in 2014. His first-ever tournament was the Deepstack Extravaganza III in Las Vegas. Though he didn’t make the podium from the get-go, he worked his way up, eventually nabbing third place at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure’s No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event in 2018. 

Seymour’s most recent tournament took place at the 2024 Wynn Summer Classic—where he placed 157th out of over 1,440 players—just a year after his impressive 2023 run against the likes of Moneymaker. Chances are he used this event to further hone his skills and warm up for the WSOP this year.

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