Antanas Guoga

Lithuanian businessman, poker player, politician, and philanthropist

Antanas Guoga (born 17 December 1973), more commonly known as Tony G, is a Lithuanian Australian businessman, poker player, politician and philanthropist. In November 2020, Antanas was elected to the 2020–2024 legislative period of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania in the Labour Party group. During 2014–2019 he was a Member of the European Parliament for the Liberal Movement, and from 2016 the European Peoples Party. In May 2016, Guoga was the temporary leader of the Liberal Movement following the bribery scandal that prompted Eligijus Masiulis to step down after potentially corrupt activities.

Guoga spent his childhood in Kaunas and in the Alytus district (Kalesninkai) in Lithuania. When he was 11 years old, he moved to Australia. Guoga lived in Melbourne where he graduated from school, and had various jobs, including repairing sewing machines and washing cars.

As a child, Guoga was the Rubik's Cube champion of Lithuania before moving to Melbourne, Australia, at the age of 11. He has played poker since the age of 18, and is known for his outlandish table talk and frequent attempts at intimidation of his opponents. He had a fifth place finish in the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris 2003. He finished in the money twice at the 2004 World Series of Poker in Seven card stud and Pot Limit Texas hold 'em tournaments. Three months later earned his then biggest tournament money finish in the WPT Grand Prix de Paris 2004, where his second place finish to England's Surinder Sunar earned him $414,478. He finished on the bubble later in the same month at the WPT 2004 Mirage Poker Showdown. On 7 August 2005 he won the £5,000 no limit Texas hold 'em Main Event of the European Poker Championships, earning £260,000. Later in 2005, he made the final table of the World Speed Poker Open. In 2006, he won the WPT Bad Boys of Poker II event when his outdrew Mike Matusow's on a board of He wore a kimono throughout the event to promote poker in Japan. Also in 2006, he finished second to Yosh Nakano while representing Australia in the inaugural Intercontinental Poker Championship, taking down $150,000. True to his reputation, Tony G launched many verbal assaults against his opponents, most notably when he eliminated Russian Ralph Perry in fourth place. Tony G started to provoke Perry when he was deciding how to play his hand before the flop. When Perry called Tony G's all in with a worse hand (K J), Tony G proceeded to ridicule and lecture him. Tony's comments were so scathing that it prompted commentator Gabe Kaplan to quip "I think Tony G is speaking more like a Lithuanian than an Australian" and "Tony G could single handedly reignite the Cold War". Guoga was more respectful of some other players, such as Doyle Brunson, calling Doyle his idol after eliminating him. In November 2006, he won the Asian Poker Tour event held in Singapore, walking away with $451,700, half of which he indicated he will give to Asian and Australian charities to be nominated by Betfair. In February 2007, he appeared on the NBC television program Poker After Dark, coming in third place behind winner Phil Ivey. In November of the same year, he won a tournament in Moscow, earning $205,000. Often telling his opponents that he has a "big heart", Guoga claims that he left all of his prize money with the officials to give to Russian orphanages, having been inspired to do so by Barry Greenstein's habit of donating all his poker tournament winnings to charity. In January 2008, Guoga received the Shining World Leadership Award in Melbourne Australia. In the 2008 WSOP, he finished sixth in a $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw tournament for $78,075. In 2009, Guoga was a founding inductee into the Australian Poker Hall of Fame. In May of that year, he had a third place finish in the European High Roller Championship at the EPT in Monte Carlo for € 420,000. On 23 February 2010, in Vilnius, Guoga established the Lithuanian Poker Federation. Tony G occasionally plays high stakes cash game poker. In 2018, he took part in the PartyPoker "The Big Game" High Stake PLO cash game alongside poker pros like Isildur1, Sam Trickett and casino owner, Rob Yong. In October 2019, Guoga had a fourth place finish in the € 250,000 No Limit Hold'em Super High Roller event at the 2019 WSOP Europe in Rozvadov. He won € 799,045. In August 2021, Guoga won a $100,000 No Limit Short Deck Hold'em event at the Super High Roller Bowl in Kyrenia for $1,196,000. In May 2022, he earned his largest live tournament cash with a runner up finish in the Triton Poker Series for $1,389,436. As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $11,200,000. His 20 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,886,714 of those winnings.

Guoga is currently a major sponsor of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation. When the country's national team failed to directly qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey and had to apply for a wild card entry, he paid a large share of the application fee of €500,000. The team was chosen for the tournament, and won the bronze medal with TONYBET printed on their jerseys. He was the national basketball team's manager from 2010 until 2012 and served as the vice president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation. He was also the main sponsor of BC Prienai, a professional basketball club. In 2014, Guoga became the vice president of the Lithuanian Rowing Federation.

Guoga is director and CEO of Cypherpunk Holdings. On 30 September 2021 Tony Guoga announced that Cypherpunk Holdings has acquired two million shares of Animoca Brands for approximately $2.055 million Canadian dollars.

In November 2017 an investigation conducted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism cited his name in the list of politicians named in "Paradise Papers" allegations.

Since 2014, Guoga has been married to Aistė Šlapokaitė, a former psychology student and a photo model for clothing brands like Armani Jeans, Prada and Max Mara. Guoga and Šlapokaitė met during her 30th birthday celebrations in a Vilnius night club. Together they have two sons (Herkus, born in 2015 in Brussels and Tauras, born in 2016 in Vilnius). Guoga also has a son and three daughters from previous relationships.