Ivor Parker Joins GGPoker as Full-Time Ambassador at 100
The century-old player’s new role was unveiled at a VIP event ahead of Goliath 2026, as GGPoker said it hoped to champion experience and composure.
Ivor Parker, who is 100, has been signed by GGPoker as a full-time ambassador. The deal was introduced at a VIP event with Grosvenor Casinos on the eve of Goliath 2026.
The Sun described Parker as the world’s oldest paid professional. The announcement comes as GGPoker hopes to champion experience, composure and decision-making through the partnership.
Parker’s poker story goes back a long way. He said he first started playing at 14, and played his first hand in a pub in Boston, Lincolnshire in 1940. That gives him 86 years of experience at the tables.
He is from Ab Kettleby in Leicestershire, and he worked as a production operative for East Midlands Farmer until he was 98. The reports also said he has been married twice and has five children.
Parker said every game is different, every table has its own stories, and you are always learning something new. He also said poker today is much more strategic than when he started, and that the game has kept him sharp.
The VIP event tied to the announcement brought together journalists, creators and sporting personalities, and included a masterclass from Leah Hauer before a winner-takes-all showdown with Team GGPoker UK ambassadors and invited guests Mark Labbett and Rory Jennings. Goliath itself returns to Coventry for 12 days and is billed as the world’s largest live poker tournament outside Las Vegas, with thousands of players, entertainment and side events around the main competition.
