Antanas “Tony G” Guoga is a poker player from Lithuania who was recently banned from Russia by Vladimir Putin. Tony G is a member of European Parliament for the Liberal Movement and was one of 12 European politicians who Putin recently blacklisted. The poker player feels he was blacklisted due to speaking up for freedom and democracy.

Tony G took part recently in a hearing in European Parliament in which he took on a Russian diplomat, discussing how he supports Lithuanian energy independence and interests. In a report by Politico Europe, Tony G stated that the potential reasoning behind the ban was his support of such independence.

Tony G asked what his crime was after he was banned from the country, pointing out that poker fans feel it is because of his ‘famous victory’ against Ralph Perry during the inaugural Intercontinental Poker Championship of 2006. The poker player stated that Perry played terrible and he sent him back to Russia, continuing to tell other Russian players to ‘get on their bikes’.

Tony G went on to state that he has always respected and continues to respect Russian poker players and the Russian people. After he won the Moscow Millions event in 2007, which took place in Moscow, the poker player pointed out he donated the $200,000+ he won to an orphanage for special needs children in Russia. The poker player further stated that it was a shame he could not participate in the partypoker Million event that recently took place in Sochi due to the ban.