Antanus Guoga, his non-poker and birth name, is a member of the European Parliament for the Liberal Movement. Politico reported that the Lithuanian was added to a Russian blacklist, preventing him from entering the country. Tony G confirmed the accuracy of the report on Facebook.
“Antanas Guoga has been added to the list of MEPs banned from entering Russia. He thinks it may be partly because he trolled a Russian diplomat during a hearing in the European Parliament,” the article read.
That’s right, Tony G finally got into some hot water for trolling, perhaps for the first time since his full house was beaten by Vanessa Rousso’s higher boat in a televised high stakes cash game years ago. In that game, the politician taunted his opponent during the hand only to go bust. Some may refer to that as “karma.”
Why He Got Banned
Tony G, in a Facebook post, explained why he felt Russia blacklisted him from entering the country. He was a bit vague in his response, and the Russians haven’t confirmed if what he’s saying is true.
The former poker pro believes he was banned for speaking out in favor of anti-Russian policies. He refused to apologize for anything he said and doesn’t appear to be all too distraught over the ban.
Guoga isn’t a fan of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has publicly criticized the leader, which is something the president despises. He also said his comments on Russian hacking and attempting to influence world elections may have contributed to the ban.