By James Potter
Shane Dye is not only one of Australia finest jockeys; he has also been one of the biggest personalities of the sport over the years. When talking of a ride, a horse or another jockey he is never short of an opinion and it is this self-belief that will help him become one of Australia’s better poker players.
His record in the saddle is impressive. He won the 1989 Melbourne Cup aboard Tawriffic, then won Australasia’s premier two-year-old race the Golden Slipper, four years in a row from 1989-1992.
Dye developed a love for the game when he returned from many years riding in one of the toughest racing theatres in the world, Hong Kong. Dye, while recovering from a horrendous injury, started playing poker.
Not only did he find that he enjoyed the game, he was a natural from the start and the results came early. He has already won a couple of smaller tournaments here at Star City in Sydney and played well and made day 2 of the PokerStars APPT Auckland main event earlier this year.
The affable Kiwi-born Aussie is never short of a witty comment, and when asked what his strategy for the day was, he replied: “What do you think? Get some good cards and survive!”
The jockey’s poker skills are being tested at the “table of death”, with Dye seated with PokerStars Sponsored player David “Superman” Saab, Jim Sachinidis and Julian Powell.
Saab is a lovable rogue – the Korean-born Aussie, who currently resides in Manila, is quickly making a name for himself across the world as one of the loudest (but best) players in the game. His clash with Dye, an equally dominant force in the world of horse racing, will be worth watching.
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