Become a Poker Champion. Get tips and poker strategies from the game’s best players. 1,000s of free games and tournaments - take part in daily free tournaments, Sit & Go’s and ring games in a variety of formats and hone your skills. Steven Tahurata Pokere (born 11 August 1958) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and centre, Pokere represented Southland, Auckland and Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1981 to 1985. Brian Townsend (born 1982) is an American professional poker player. He graduated from the UC Santa Barbara and played Lock for UCSB's 2005 league championship rugby team. Townsend is largely known for his success playing no limit hold 'em and pot-limit omaha at Full Tilt Poker, playing under the nickname 'sbrugby.'

A former professional rugby player in Ireland has avoided going to jail for attacking a fellow poker player during a 2012 poker game by agreeing to pay the victim €10,000.

Last year, a judge ordered Neilus Keogh, 27, to undergo anger management counseling while the case continued to play out. Keogh cowardly attacked a man more than twice his age after not being able to emotionally handle losing a pot.

Keogh was playing poker in a nine-handed game at the Sporting Emporium Casino when he lost the hand in question. He reportedly stood up and hit the victim in the face before throwing a chair at him while he was unconscious on the ground.

The victim suffered three broken bones in his face and damaged nerves around his mouth. An operation was required to insert two metal plates in his face held together by eight steel screws, The Irish Times reported.

Keogh reportedly lost his career over the incident and now does manual labor as a construction worker in London, according to the report. He earns £350 a week.

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