100-year-old poker player Ivor Parker has become the world’s oldest paid professional after being signed as a full-time ambassador by GGPoker.
Parker, from Ab Kettleby in Leicestershire, started playing poker at the age of 14 in 1940, and began his new role at a VIP event with Grosvenor Casinos ahead of the Goliath 2026 poker tournament in Coventry, reports the Mirror.
“I’ve loved poker for as long as I can remember. I started playing when I was 14. I loved the game straight away and I’ve never really looked back. I've played poker all over the world, especially during the war,” said Parker at the event.
“Every game is different, every table has its own stories and you’re always learning something new. Poker today is so different to when I started, it's so much more strategic now and there are so many brilliant players.
“If I think about it, I’ve played poker with hundreds of people, some of them my really good friends, who sadly have all gone now. I think poker has kept me sharp and I'm thankful for that,” he added.
GGPoker brand ambassador Leah Hauer said that “sharing the table with Ivor has been incredibly inspiring, and it shows exactly why poker is such a unique game. There's always something to learn from the people sitting around you”.
Angela Martin, head of marketing at GGPoker, added: “Poker has always been about much more than cards. It’s about bringing people together, continually learning and challenging yourself. Ivor perfectly embodies everything we love about the game, and we're incredibly proud to welcome him to Team GGPoker as we head into Goliath.”
