Michael Jordan, who once lost $5 million in one night, left a $25 million poker pro in awe

Michael Jordan’s gambling stories almost often involve him losing. But for once, he dominated in poker, a game that requires sheer skill.

The Bulls legend is infamous for gambling. It is something he liked to indulge in and for him, it wasn’t a game of luck. It was a game to see if he could beat you. Yes, if you ever play MJ or ask him to wager, you can rest assured he wants to beat you.

That’s how Michael worked. He was all about winning and he still is. To him beating you is the only way he knows how to live life.

And while it might distance you from some people, you can also count on it to take you to heights nobody else will be able to reach.

As a gambler, there is only one den he could frequent and find people who want to indulge in the same game. A casino. So what happens when he goes to play a charity poker tournament in Minnesota, surrounded by pros from all walks of life? He dominates.

So much so that, even Phil Hellmuth was in absolute awe of the 6x champion’s poker savvy. He recounted a tale that showed why MJ doesn’t just gamble, he plays games to win.

Also read: In a 32-month span, Michael Jordan once won 3 titles, and 2 MVPs without missing a single game!

I want to say @phil_hellmuth is the Michael Jordan of poker, but he has 14 bracelets…

Michael Jordan is the @phil_hellmuth of basketball.

— Cole Vasilofski (@ColeVasilofski) October 14, 2016

Phil Hellmuth tells a tale of Michael Jordan absolutely crushing his opponents.

For the uninitiated, Phil Hellmuth is a legend in the world of poker. He was the WSOP Main Event champion in 1989. He also holds the record for the most WSOP bracelets with 16, most cashes with 154, and most final tables with 64 appearances.

Hellmuth also sits very high on the all-time poker earnings list, with certain sources claiming he has more than $25 million in his career.

In short, Phil is the Michael Jordan of poker, or as one Twitter user put it, Michael Jordan is the Phil Hellmuth of basketball. And so, when he saw the Bulls legend play in a charity tournament in Minnesota, little did he think he would win.

But, MJ being MJ, showed a lot of savvy at the tables. Playing like a pro, making decisions that ultimately helped him crush the tournament and win his first and only poker title. He collected a prize of $25,000, which he donated back to the Trent Tucker Charity.

To leave a pro like Phill Hellmuth stunned is something not a lot of people can claim to do. The “Poker Brat” as he is called, is a hard one to impress. But of course, Mike had no problems leaving a mark on him.

Despite his countless losses, including the time when he lost a mammoth $5 million on a single night, we think small wins like this keep Michael happy. After all, he is a billionaire who likes to gamble.

Also read: Anthony Edwards, who recently used homophobic slurs, once claimed he’d turn into Michael Jordan if he was 6’6″