Former PSG player from 2000 to 2008, selected three times for the French team, Bernard Mendy, after having been the assistant coach of the women’s team between 2017 and 2022, is now responsible for recruitment for the women’s section of the Parisian club. Introduced to poker when he was a player, the forty-year-old from Evreux played his first major tournament, the PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris (EPT) at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.
Bernard Mendy tries to see what his opponents have in mind. ©PokerStars – Danny Maxwell
How did you get into the world of poker?
I started playing poker when I was at Paris Saint-Germain. And also in the French team. This was especially done during the “greening out” (Editor’s note: pre-competitive phase which generally begins the day before the match). There were meals with the whole team, treatments, relaxation. Some played classic card games, others poker. This is where I began to be introduced to this sport which is magnificent. This is where I started to refine my game.
Exactly, what do you like so much about poker?
It’s the strategy that interests me and the adrenaline that it provides. I like being confronted with different people of all nationalities and in different categories. I try to find out what my opponents have in mind. Are they bluffing, are they “valuing” (Editor’s note: The Value Bet East a bet which often East profitable if your opponent calls).
What I like about poker is that this sport involves big strategies. It’s a marathon, and at the end there’s only one left. A bit like football, you have to win. In poker, there is no draw.
What qualities do you think you need to have to be a good poker player?
In order to understand the game, one must have good analytical skills. You also have to show competitive spirit because in the end there is only one left. And then you have to know how to question yourself when you make “bad beats” and bad decisions.
Let’s not forget concentration, the mind and the management of emotions which is also very important. Finally, I think that you have to be daring to be able to play poker. All these aspects seem necessary to me to perform.
Do you participate in a lot of tournaments?
Yes when I have the opportunity. I am still in football, in recruitment at Paris Saint-Germain (for the women’s section). When I have free time, I try to spend it with family and friends, and continue to watch matches. After the hobby, yes poker when I have the opportunity, I participate in tournaments.
Bernard Mendy, proud to play at home on the PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris. ©PokerStars – Danny Maxwell
What do you think of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris tournament?
It’s my first. It’s a great opportunity to participate in this tournament. I also thank PokerStars for giving me the opportunity to play this magnificent tournament. Plus a top organization with the Club Barrière. To play at home, in Paris, at the Palais des Congrès, it’s something magnificent. It is one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Some experts will say that the World Series is even bigger, but I didn’t have the opportunity to play in those tournaments, so yes the EPT is the biggest tournament I have participated in.
Do many footballers play poker?
There are indeed many who play tournaments in their free time. Or during “go green”. Some during their vacation go to Las Vegas to gamble and relax. Many players at the end of their career also take up poker. They want to compete against the best and look for that adrenaline that they experience when they play a football match.
