Why Boston Rob Mariano Doesn't 'Have a Desire to Go Back' on Competitive Reality TV (Exclusive)

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19-04-2025

Boston Rob Mariano has competed on , , and
Mariano tells PEOPLE that, following , he's "kind of just hanging out" in his TV career
The reality star is currently competing in The Irish Poker Open sponsored by PokerStars in Dublin
Boston Rob Mariano has solidified himself as one of reality TV's strongest competitors.
But now, after one of his signature power moves led to him being eliminated early from The Traitors season 3, Mariano, 49, tells PEOPLE he doesn't have plans to return to television at this time.
'At this point, I'm kind of just hanging out,' he says. 'I don't have a desire to go back and compete in that realm right now. I'm going to take a little break, the kids are off for the summer.'
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However, the six-time Survivor participant promises he'll 'be on your screens again soon.'
'I truly feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world,' Mariano says. 'I didn't expect to be still doing it after 25 years, so never say never. You never know what's going to happen.'
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Mariano currently finds himself using some of the skills and strategy he employs on TV to compete in The Irish Poker Open sponsored by PokerStars, Europe's longest running live poker series, taking place in Dublin. The Amazing Race alum says some of his competitors do know him from TV, 'so I have to always be on guard.'
Over in Europe, Mariano says fans recognize him most for Traitors. 'You have that whole Bravo world where I think it introduced a whole new subset of people that watch reality TV to me,' the father of four continues. 'And now I hear a lot of people are going back and watching the old Survivors and the old Amazing Races and stuff. It's kind of cool to see the younger generation seeing all the stuff I've been doing for 25 years.'
Poker players from around the world have gotten a taste of that gamesmanship as well throughout the tournament.
'A lot of the same skill set you use in these competition reality shows transfer over to poker,' Mariano explains. 'The No. 1 thing is you have to be aware, and you have to watch the situation, and you have to be able to adapt. Just like Survivor or Traitors or Deal or No Deal Island, there's a combination of skill and luck, so you're not going to be able to control the tournament from beginning to end.'
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The same even-keeled attitude Mariano uses while forming alliances and cutting deals on reality TV comes in handy at the poker table.
'The key is to be balanced,' he says. 'It's hard to do, especially if you're losing. Generally, people tend to play worse than if they're winning. So constantly being self-aware and knowing that some days are just not going to be your days and tomorrow's another day, you know? Treat it as a game, so it always remains fun.'
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Just as Mariano has enjoyed new generations discovering his previous shows, he also doesn't mind that they deemed his early Survivor self 'Hot Rob,' which Ciara Miller brought up at the Traitors reunion last month.
'I think it's funny,' the Massachusetts native says. 'It's funny to see people look at stuff from me from 20 years ago.'
Even his wife Amber Brkich and daughters Lucia, 15, Carina, 14, Isabetta, 12, and Adelina, 10, 'love it.' 'They're pretty supportive of the whole thing,' Mariano says. 'We all get a good laugh out of it for sure.'
Read the original article on People