Less than a year into his retirement from poker, 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Peter Eastgate has announced that he is returning to the sport.
PokerStars, the largest online poker room in the industry and Eastgate’s former sponsor, released a statement early this morning that offered further insight into the former World Champion’s mental state.
Eastgate wrote, “Sometimes in life, a person can feel lost and wake up one morning not recognizing who he is. Last summer, that was how I felt. Prior to winning the WSOP in 2008, my life was very much a good solid routine of playing online poker and hanging out with my friends and family. Winning the WSOP changed that.”
“I relocated to London and started a new life, the life of a high-profile poker pro,” Eastgate continued. “For almost two years I was in a constant spotlight, traveling from poker tournament to poker tournament, doing thousands of interviews, and never had a chance to catch my breath. In the whirlwind that followed winning the WSOP, I lost track of the most importing thing in my life… myself.”
After declaring last year during the WSOP that he would be retiring from the game, Eastgate has used the time to focus on important aspects of his life. “Over the last eight months, I have had a chance to reconnect with my friends and, most important, my family,” Eastgate stated. “I have spent quality time with my family and really had an opportunity to figure out who I am and what I want to do with the rest of my life. When there is no financial pressure, it can sometimes be hard to get motivated to move forward as a person.”
Eastgate detailed his return to the game and explained that PokerStars will once again be his sponsor for at least his next two events. “First, I will be playing the PokerStars EPT Copenhagen which, of course, means a lot to me since it is on my home ground,” Eastgate said. “Then, I will play the NBC Heads-Up Championship.” Eastgate, as the 2008 WSOP Main Event champion, is in the last year of his three-year exemption for the National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
Eastgate used his comeback announcement to set the record straight on a couple of accounts. As to his return, Eastgate said, “I do not consider this a comeback, as I always knew there was a good chance I would play poker again. I truly enjoy playing poker. I love the competitive element and the mental challenges of tournament poker. I feel it is important to constantly grow as a person and, for a while, I didn’t feel I was moving in the right direction. Having had time to think about my life and future, I feel I have figured out how I can combine playing poker with a healthy life outside of poker.”
For the first time, Eastgate also addressed the selling of his WSOP bracelet in an eBay auction, which was purchased by Scottish businessman and poker player William Haughey for $147,500. “I was not trying to devaluate the WSOP name,” he stated. “It was not sold to make any kind of statement. It was sold to raise money for UNICEF and I am very proud and thankful that the sale raised £100,000 for the organization.”
EPT Copenhagen begins on February 21st, with the final table set for February 26th. Eastgate will have a quick turnaround from the event, as the National Heads-Up Poker Championship will take place from March 3rd to 6th. With only ten days to prepare for his return, Eastgate has set a difficult path for his trek back to the green felt.