Popular streamer N3on had zero poker experience heading into Friday night’s Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) Invitational XIII in Las Vegas, but he did have karma on his side.
N3on, who a few weeks ago went viral for helping out a former NBA player suffering from drug addiction and homelessness, topped the field of more than 50 celebrities to win and $15,000.
Read More About the CPT Invitational
“I Don’t Know Sh**”
The CPT’s 19th event inside PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino was mainly made up of first-timers and poker newcomers like Olympic medalist Caitlyn Jenner and reality TV star and longtime Las Vegas personality Holly Madison. N3on, who has 1.15 million YouTube subscribers, was certainly no exception.
“I don’t know shit,” N3on told PokerNews in an interview ahead of the event. “They just reached out and I was like, you know, this is a great opportunity. Let’s do it. Let’s win some money.”
The streamer found himself seat at the feature table with Jenner and Madison, as well as former NBA guard Nate Robinson and fellow content creators India Love and Tana Mongeau, two CPT regulars among a table of newcomers.
“There’s a lot of cool names out here,” said N3on. “A lot of great personalities, it’s going to be a great table. We’re going to talk have fun, vibe out. And hopefully, you know I win.”
N3on wasn’t bluffing when he said he didn’t know anything about poker. This was perhaps best demonstrated in a viral double knockout where he hit a two-outer to river a full house without realizing it. PokerGO commentator Brent Hanks called it “one of the most bizarre hands we have covered at the CPT.”
That hand took place at the final table and propelled N3on to victory in a game that he started the evening totally unfamiliar with.
Helping a Struggling Pro Athlete
Robinson isn’t the only former pro basketball player who N3on has mingled with as of late.
Last month, N3on made a series of videos with Delonte West, a former NBA guard who has struggled with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health issues for years.
“I reached out to Delonte, Dm’d him, he told me his whole situation,” said N3on, who played basketball with the struggling athlete and also hooked him up with $50,000 and an iPhone.
N3on added that West is “in a very good situation right now compared to what it was before.”
“He’s in a sober living home, not on any drugs, just going day by day and and living his life. So really glad to help him out. Me and him still communicate like, almost every single day. And I’m going to see him very soon, so I’m excited.”
The poker world may be seeing more of N3on as he also won a seat into the $26,000 buy-in Super Main Event at World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise.
Connor Richards
Senior Editor U.S.