Carlo Citrone
Encyclopedia
"Diamond" Carlo Citrone is a British
professional poker
player and commentator, based in Newcastle upon Tyne
.
by his father John Citrone, a fifteen-time world bodybuilding
champion and supplier of sports nutrition and gym equipment
products.
Whilst still a teenager, Citrone was given a gym from his father in North Shields
to run with his fathers partner Sunderland A.F.C.
footballer
Dave Buchanan, on expanding the business they bought a health club in Redcar
. The health club went on to become part of a successful chain and was sold, leaving Carlo (who was suffering from insomnia
) in need of a new challenge. He found this in poker and began playing tournaments at the Stanley Casino in Newcastle.
, Melbourne
, Luton
and London
, where he won the £500 no limit
hold'em event of the 2003 British Open, defeating Lucy Rokach
in the heads-up confrontation.
His major tournament money finishes include two World Series of Poker
(WSOP) final tables and 2nd place in the £500 no limit hold'em event at the 2002 European Poker Championships.
Citrone also appeared in the Late Night Poker
television series (series 5, episode 7) where he finished 3rd, behind Dave Colclough
and Charalambos "Bambos" Xanthos
.
for being knowingly concerned with the smuggling
of 2,700,000 cigarette
s. Citrone denied his involvement, indicating that the person responsible was a fellow poker player. Citrone however, refused to go on record and implicate the poker player in question who was a father and a friend. Citrone eventually served approximately twelve months for the offence and was ordered to pay some £370,000 as part of a Confiscation Order ordered in favour of the Crown.
On 12 July 2005, Citrone was adjudged bankrupt, with unsecure debts in excess of £700,000.
, finishing 4th in his heat. Citrone is known for taking his time over decisions and entered the speed poker event for the extra challenge.
Citrone is also a regular commentator on The Poker Channel
, alongside Gary Jones
.
He has worked as an analyst on Sky Vegas Poker (channel 865)
As of 2008 his total live tournament winnings exceed $680,000.
He has one daughter, Angelina, born in December 2004.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player and commentator, based in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
.
Early years
Citrone was raised in Whitley BayWhitley Bay
Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the North Sea coast and has a fine stretch of golden sandy beach forming a bay stretching from St. Mary's Island in the north to Cullercoats in the south...
by his father John Citrone, a fifteen-time world bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
champion and supplier of sports nutrition and gym equipment
Bodybuilding supplement
Bodybuilding supplements are dietary supplements commonly used by those involved in bodybuilding and athletics. Bodybuilding supplements may be used to replace meals, enhance weight gain, promote weight loss or improve athletic performance...
products.
Whilst still a teenager, Citrone was given a gym from his father in North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
to run with his fathers partner Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
Dave Buchanan, on expanding the business they bought a health club in Redcar
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in the north east of England, and a major town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast...
. The health club went on to become part of a successful chain and was sold, leaving Carlo (who was suffering from insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
) in need of a new challenge. He found this in poker and began playing tournaments at the Stanley Casino in Newcastle.
Poker career
He began playing in 2001 and has won tournaments in WalsallWalsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he won the £500 no limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
hold'em event of the 2003 British Open, defeating Lucy Rokach
Lucy Rokach
Lucienne "Lucy" Rokach is an English professional poker player from Stoke-on-Trent. She was born in Cairo, Egypt and is now regarded as one of the top female players in Europe...
in the heads-up confrontation.
His major tournament money finishes include two World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) final tables and 2nd place in the £500 no limit hold'em event at the 2002 European Poker Championships.
Citrone also appeared in the Late Night Poker
Late Night Poker
Late Night Poker is the pioneering television show that helped pave the way for the explosion of interest in poker in the 2000's. With it's ground breaking use of "under the table" cameras that enabled the viewer to see each player's cards, the show became a cult hit on Channel 4 UK when it first...
television series (series 5, episode 7) where he finished 3rd, behind Dave Colclough
Dave Colclough
David E. Colclough is a Welsh professional poker player, now living in Thailand.-Before poker:Prior to becoming a poker professional, Colclough worked as a computer programmer. Amongst the companies he worked for were the Post Office and the National Health Service...
and Charalambos "Bambos" Xanthos
Charalambos Xanthos
Charalambos "Bambos" Xanthos is a Greek Cypriot hotel and restaurant owner based in London, England. Following on from being a backgammon player, he became a semi-professional poker player in 1993.Xanthos learnt poker from his father in 1960....
.
Controversy
In 2004, Citrone was sentenced to two years in prisonPrison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for being knowingly concerned with the smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
of 2,700,000 cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s. Citrone denied his involvement, indicating that the person responsible was a fellow poker player. Citrone however, refused to go on record and implicate the poker player in question who was a father and a friend. Citrone eventually served approximately twelve months for the offence and was ordered to pay some £370,000 as part of a Confiscation Order ordered in favour of the Crown.
On 12 July 2005, Citrone was adjudged bankrupt, with unsecure debts in excess of £700,000.
Recent activities
He also appeared in the 2005 World Speed Poker OpenWorld Speed Poker Open
The World Speed Poker Open was an international poker tournament held under speed poker rules.-Format:The tournament had a £2,000 entry fee....
, finishing 4th in his heat. Citrone is known for taking his time over decisions and entered the speed poker event for the extra challenge.
Citrone is also a regular commentator on The Poker Channel
The Poker Channel
The Poker Channel is a dedicated gaming TV network and broadcasts to over 30 million TV homes in 30 countries.The Channel is typically carried in the basic packages of cable and satellite operators in Europe and classified as a sport or entertainment channel in electronic programme guides...
, alongside Gary Jones
Gary Jones (poker player)
Gary Herbert "The Choirboy" Jones is a professional poker player from Stafford, Staffordshire, England. He is also a regular color commentator on The Poker Channel....
.
He has worked as an analyst on Sky Vegas Poker (channel 865)
As of 2008 his total live tournament winnings exceed $680,000.
He has one daughter, Angelina, born in December 2004.