Tony G – Antanas Guoga
- Nickname: The Mouth from Down Under
- Facebook: Tony G
- Twitter: @TonyGuoga
- Website: www.tonygpoker.com
- Birthdate: 17th December 1973
- Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania
- Residence: Melbourne Australia
- Biggest Win: $552,239
- Total Winnings: $4,860,978
- Sponsored by: ex Party Poker
Antanas Guoga, better known as Tony G, was born in Lithuania and during his eleven years there was crowned the country’s Rubik’s Cube Champion. He left with his family for Melbourne, Australia and now considers himself Australian. Poker came into his life when he was eighteen as did his nickname, ‘Tony G’ which is what he chalked onto the waiting list at his local poker hall. Early forays to Las Vegas were unsuccessful and required a fake ID so he returned to Europe and his game improved.
He fared well in a small tournament in 2000, and was earning a reasonable living out of cash games, when he decided in 2002 that his aggressive style and table manner might be more suited to tournament play. For the first couple of years, he played mostly in Austria, France and Russia, he consistently reached the final table. He took a bad beat in the World Series of Poker backed 2002 Vienna Spring Festival when his pocket queens were out-drawn by a queen five and took second place.
His first victory came in a Heads Up Pot Limit Omaha tournament before he achieved a creditable fifth in the World Poker Tour’s Euro Finals of Poker main event. Famously, Howard Lederer had refused to shake his hand in this tournament after being offended by Guoga’s mouthy table manner. Later in the year, a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia produced two victories in two days. In Paris the following year, his reputation was further enhanced when Guoga took second place in a major WPT event, pocketing $445,519.
His second largest cash prize to date occurred in London in August 2005, at the European Poker Championships. 2006 was arguably Guoga’s best year in terms of raising his profile. Firstly, he won the WPT Bad Boys of Poker II invitational event whilst wearing a kimono though the win was somewhat lucky when he got two pairs with 10♦ 8♦ against Mike Matusow’s pocket kings.
With the Bad Boy title under his belt, he aptly displayed his nefarious nature in the Intercontinental Poker Championship with his ‘Bring the Russians on’ rant while also showcasing his burgeoning poker talent by taking second place. The following day he was sitting at his first final table at the 37th WSOP in a Texas Hold’em event.
To end 2006, he won an Asian Poker Tour championship event and $451,700 making it his most financially rewarding year so far in live tournaments. As if to prove his love of playing Russians, Guoga won the Moscow Millions in late 2007 and promptly handed his $205,000 winnings back to the organizers with instructions to pass it on to a Russian orphanage.
In 2009 he cashed $552, 239 coming third in the EPT € 25,000 European High Roller Championship – No Limit Hold’em Grand Final. His big wins just keep on coming and in January 2012 he cashed a massive $249,133 earning 4th place at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship A$100,000 No Limit Hold’em Challenge. He now has 17 WSOP cash finishes to his name, he is Australia’s second highest poker earner, only Joe Hachem has earned more, he has finished in the cash over a hundred times.
Tournaments aside, he still gets a steady income from playing poker online. He also has part ownership of the information sites, Pokerworks.com, Pokeraffiliateworld.com and Pokernews.com. He even had his own poker site for a while, the site contained a disclaimer though as Guoga apologized to visitors for the fact that they will be unable to hear the needling side of his game play. In truth, people who meet him away from the poker table say he is very congenial which proves one thing – Tony G, the mouth from down under, is actually Antanas Guoga’s poker-playing alter ego and a talented one at that. In Lithuania 36,000 people voted for Antanas Guoga as the Lithuanian that promoted his country in the most positive manner, he got a World Lithuanian Award.
Earlier this year, 2013, Tony left Team Party Poker to concentrate on promoting his own sports book, TonyBet.com.
2006 Intercontinental Poker Championship
Tony G was representing Australia and had reached the final table at the Grand Final of the 2006 Intercontinental Poker Championship. With just four players left he called from the small blind position with A♠ 2♠. ‘I want to play. I’ve got a weak hand though’ he told Ralph Perry, the player to his left. The Russian, Ralph Perry raised the pot by 120,000 chips. ‘How much has he got?’ Guoga asked before announcing ‘All in,’ adding ‘You want to do this? Do this properly.’
Gouga’s goading worked and Perry called with all his chips, holding the weaker K♣ J♠. 2♣ 3♦ 10♠ was dealt on the flop giving Guoga a pair and reducing Perry’s chances further. The turn card was a 7♦ and though some in the crowd were calling for a king, the river was a 6♣. Guoga let out a celebratory yell and leapt to his feet. He walked around the table to berate Perry and pointing at Perry’s cards shouted ‘Look how ugly this is.’ He continued his tirade, adding, ‘you’re a terrible player. This is a disgrace’ before walking back towards his seat. ‘Bring the Russians on,’ he shouted sarcastically and, before sitting down, cannot resist ranting some more. ‘Feel the power, baby,’ Guoga yelled, looking at Perry who smiled weakly and almost inaudibly said, ‘good hand’.
As Perry left the crowd began to clap but indignantly Tony G sneered at them. ‘He doesn’t deserve any applause’ he said. At the end, he placed second in the competition as his frequently used tactic of needling his opponents can only go so far.
TV Invitational
However sometimes Gouga can be quieter, as witnessed in a televised invitational cash game during the Aussie Millions tournament. Guoga was sitting among some of the biggest names in poker and it was he, Patrik Antonius and John Juanda who had called to see the flop. The pot stood at $8,500 and the flop of Q♦ 10♦ A♦ was dealt out. Guoga was holding K♦ J♦ and had flopped the best hand in poker but Juanda with K♣ Q♠, checked and Antonius with 10♠ 9♠ did likewise. Guoga slow-played and checked also and a 9♦ came on the turn. With four diamonds on the board, play was checked around once more and the Q♣ was drawn on the river. Juanda and Antonius checked again and this time Guoga, trying to get some more chips in the middle, bet $6,000 but Juanda despite having three queens folded. Antonius, with two pair thought for a while and folded also. Guoga turned over his cards to the amazement of all at the table. Sighing he said, ‘Pretty sick one, guys’. He had won a paltry amount for the top of the flops, a royal flush.
Last updated July 2013