The rock scene has witnessed many metal players take over the gambling tables with all their glory but then leave them less spectacularly. If you know a little about Godsmack’s Sully Erna, you’ve probably heard how big a poker fan he is. He is also one of the metalheads who sometimes enjoys gambling when he is not rocking the stage. However, it is hard to claim that he is good.
In 2006, when he took a break from his career, poker ceased to be a hobby for him, and he began to devote a great deal of his time to the cards. He stepped into the world of competitive poker, ranking number 713 out of 8,000 in a tournament in Las Vegas that year, fetching $17,000, and of course, earning the respect of the poker world. He was no longer just a metalhead known for his onstage screams; he was also a poker player recognized by the pros.
After that, Sully Erna continued playing poker and participated in other professional tournaments, including the 5 Diamond World Poker Classic, where he finished in second place and earned $307,000 in prize money. As his skillsets in poker improved, he was starting to win big bucks. His enjoyment increased even more because he had proven that he wasn’t an enthusiastic wannabe; he was a real deal.
While the tournaments and successes continued, Erna faced another challenge. Yes, he had proven his worth to the poker world, but now he had to prove to the music world how well he played poker. And as you know, metal and poker have always gone hand in hand, and his competitors were just as formidable. When the VH1 Charity Celebrity Rock and Roll Poker Tournament began, all the fantastic players were ready to deal with the cards.
Ace Frehley, Dusty Hill, Vinnie Paul, and Scott Ian were also there, and their wild poker background was already set in stone. When the heads-up battle began, the last of these names, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, was the one who let him down at the poker table. He reluctantly gave Ian the title he had enjoyed in serious leagues for a long time.
Erna continued to play even though he lost. But there was another passion waiting for his attention: music. After this tournament, although he lost at the table, he would win in music because he would release a successful solo album. The tours continued, but Sully could not suppress his desire for poker.
Back at the table in 2013, he said, ‘I’ve studied the game,’ and it seems like losing didn’t discourage him; on the contrary, it whipped him up even more. As for Ian, the winner of that tour, he performed so well in that tournament that Phill Hellmuth, a professional poker player, noticed his talents and intelligence and even offered to train him.
