Anthrax guitarist and founding member Scott Ian recently shared a surprising revelation about his deep obsession with online poker during the late 2000s, admitting that he occasionally brought his laptop onto the stage to maintain his tournament runs while performing live with the legendary thrash metal band.
The candid admission arrived during a recent interview with PokerNews, where the guitarist detailed his improbable journey from a complete novice to a sponsored online poker professional who routinely grinded up to 90 hours a week.
Scott Ian first stumbled into the poker world in 2006 when he unexpectedly won the VH1 Classic Rock ‘n’ Roll Celebrity Poker Tournament, defeating seasoned player and Godsmack frontman Sully Erna. His victory ultimately led to a lucrative professional sponsorship deal with the internet gaming site Ultimate Bet in 2008. The guitarist took the commitment seriously, receiving intensive coaching from elite professionals like Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth before transforming into a formidable online grinder.
His new side career quickly became all-consuming, particularly while touring the globe with Anthrax. The demanding schedule of massive Sunday online tournaments often collided directly with the band’s stage times, prompting the guitarist to implement a highly unconventional solution.
“I became one of those [poker] degenerates that I was so fond of,” the Anthrax guitarist admitted. “And it was such an amazing … anomaly in my life.”
“There were weeks where I played like 90 hours,” Ian said. “If I was on tour, I’m away and I’ve got nothing else to do, I’m sitting in a hotel room … on the sites for just hour after hour after hour. It was so much fun.”
“There were times where I’d be in a Sunday tournament,” Ian continued. “I’d be going deep in the tournament, and then it’s time for the band to go on stage and I’m like, ‘What am I going to do?'”
“So I would literally bring my laptop on stage. I’d be up there playing. My laptop would be right over there on the side where my guitar tech is set up. And so I’d be out there playing and songs are an average four minutes to six minutes, and then I would run back [and ask] ‘What happened?'” he explained.
“My tech knew enough about [Texas] Hold’Em, and I would just give him instructions like ‘just fold anything except for nines or better at this point.'”
“There were actually a few times where he would get in the hands and actually win a pot for me, and so if I cashed, I’d cash him out at the end of the game, too.”
Returning to the present day, Scott Ian and his Anthrax bandmates are currently on the road, providing direct support for heavy metal legends Iron Maiden during the European leg of their “Run For Your Lives” world tour.
The band played their first show of the tour on Saturday at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. However, the performance featured a temporary lineup change. Longtime drummer Charlie Benante was absent from the stage due to his ongoing touring commitments with Pantera, who performed on Sunday in Germany alongside Metallica. To fill the void behind the kit, Anthrax enlisted highly acclaimed session drummer Darby Todd, known for his extensive work with artists such as The Darkness, Gary Moore, and Robert Plant.
Charlie Benante is officially expected to rejoin Anthrax for their next scheduled performance tomorrow night at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Anthrax recently kicked off this new era by releasing their latest single, “It’s For The Kids“, complete with an official music video that was filmed in December of last year.
Scheduled for release on September 18 via Megaforce Records in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe, Cursum Perficio marks Anthrax‘s first full-length studio release since 2016’s For All Kings. For the new record, the band once again teamed up with veteran producer Jay Ruston, who previously helmed both For All Kings and 2011’s Worship Music. Portions of the recording and mixing sessions took place at Dave Grohl‘s renowned Studio 606 in Northridge, California.
The album’s title translates from Latin to phrases such as “I will persevere” or “I am completing my journey,” and is famously known for being inscribed at the Los Angeles home of late Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe.
Anthrax 2026 Live Shows & Tour Dates:
European & UK Leg
- May 26, 2026 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Vasil Levski National Stadium
- May 28, 2026 – Bucharest, Romania – Arena Națională
- May 29, 2026 – Belgrade, Serbia – OpenAir Corner – Luka Beograd
- May 30, 2026 – Bratislava, Slovakia – National Football Stadium
- June 01, 2026 – Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
- June 02, 2026 – Nuremberg, Germany – Löwensaal
- June 04, 2026 – Gdańsk, Poland – Mystic Festival 2026
- June 05, 2026 – Plzeň-město, Czechia – Metalfest Open Air 2026
- June 06, 2026 – Maastricht, Netherlands – South of Heaven Open Air 2026
- June 09, 2026 – Dresden, Germany – Reithalle Dresden
- June 12, 2026 – Leeuwarden, Netherlands – Into the Grave Festival 2026
- June 14, 2026 – Ferrara, Italy – Ferrara Summer Festival 2026
- June 15, 2026 – Zagreb, Croatia – Boogaloo Zagreb
- June 16, 2026 – Vienna, Austria – Raiffeisen Halle im Gasometer
- June 18, 2026 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting 2026
- June 20, 2026 – Clisson, France – Hellfest 2026
- June 21, 2026 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – den Atelier
- June 24, 2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – Gröna Lund
- June 25, 2026 – Oslo, Norway – Tons of Rock 2026
- June 26, 2026 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell Festival 2026
- June 28, 2026 – Lyon, France – Groupama Stadium
- June 30, 2026 – Ramonville-St-Agne, France – Le Bikini
- July 01, 2026 – Bordeaux, France – Le Rocher de Palmer
- July 02, 2026 – Viveiro, Spain – Resurrection Fest 2026
- July 04, 2026 – Cartagena, Spain – Rock Imperium Festival 2026
- July 07, 2026 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estádio da Luz
North American Leg
- September 03, 2026 – Montréal, QC, Canada – Parc Jean-Drapeau
- September 05, 2026 – Harrison, NJ, USA – Sports Illustrated Stadium
- September 06, 2026 – Harrison, NJ, USA – Sports Illustrated Stadium
- September 17, 2026 – Louisville, KY, USA – Louder Than Life 2026
- September 25, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – BMO Stadium
- September 27, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – BMO Stadium
- September 29, 2026 – San Antonio, TX, USA – Alamodome
- October 02, 2026 – Mexico City, Mexico – Estadio GNP Seguros
