Professional Poker Players
The celebrities of the poker world are among the most skilled poker players in the world. Most big name poker players become well known due to their frequent appearances at final tables in televised tournaments. These poker players are extremely skilled and manage to make it to the final table more often than all other poker players.
Most celebrity poker players are live tournament specialists because live tournaments get most of the TV coverage. Events like the World Series of Poker are broadcast all around the world and receive high ratings. Thanks to the advent of the pocket cam, casual poker fans can now tune in and watch how big name poker players play each hand.
A part of the appeal of these famous poker players is that they make millions of dollars doing something that most people consider fun. On the list of dream jobs, professional sports and poker have to rank pretty high up the list. Check out the following poker player biographies to see how these players got started and why they are so well known today.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey is arguably the most well rounded poker professional in the world. He made his name in the tournament scene but he is also an extremely skilled cash game player. Phil Ivey shines in all forms of poker, whether it be tournaments, full ring cash games or heads up play. If there’s one player in the world you want to avoid, it is Phil Ivey.
Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen is a tournament grinder who just doesn’t stop. He hits tournaments all year round and has won more than $11,000,000 in live tournaments alone. Scotty’s two biggest claims to fame are wins at the 1998 WSOP Main Event and the 2008 WSOP HORSE event. His unique personality always makes it a pleasure to watch him in action.
Jamie Gold
Jamie Gold is best known for winning the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event for a $12,000,000 payday. He has since appeared in other major tournaments but the vast majority of his live tournament earnings can be attributed to his single victory at the WSOP.
Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan is one of the most successful live tournament players in the history of the game. With 10 WSOP bracelets and more than $8,000,000 in tournament winnings to his name, Johnny’s results speak for themselves. He was inducted to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002 and he continues to play amazing poker to this day.
Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson is the most accomplished all around poker player in the world. He has played poker professional for more than 50 years and has 10 WSOP bracelets to his name, including back-to-back wins of the WSOP Main Event in 1976 and 1977. Doyle published his famous book Super / System in 1979 and that book is still studied by poker aficionados to this day.
Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen is a skilled tournament player, known for his loose-aggressive playing style. He also excels in cash games but has been known to get in over his head at super high stakes games against other professionals. Even so, Gus Hansen is a force to be reckoned with any time he joins a poker table. He is also known for his outgoing nature and willingness to bet on the outcome of just about any future event.
Howard Lederer
Howard “The Professor” Lederer takes a calm, analytical approach to the game and has earned more than $5,000,000 in live tournaments. He has cashed in the WSOP 41 times and has two WSOP bracelets to his name. Howard is also well known for raising significant amounts of money for various charities.
Annie Duke
Poker must run in Lederer blood because Annie Duke is the sister of Howard Lederer. She has won more than $4,000,000 in live tournaments to date and has one WSOP bracelet to her name. Interestingly, Annie Duke was the winner of the 2006 World Series of Rock Paper Scissors.
Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker is credited with kick-starting the poker boom of the early 2000s after his win of the 2003 WSOP Main Event. He won $2,500,000 and revealed to the world that he had qualified for free through an online poker tournament. The world saw this completely average guy win $2.5 million dollars and the poker boom hit shortly after. This is often referred to as the “Moneymaker Effect.”
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is a popular poker player who has won nearly $13,000,000 in live tournaments. He has a devoted fan base thanks to a down to earth personality, openness about his personal life and large contributions to various charity organizations. Daniel is skilled in both cash games and tournaments, so his actual poker winnings almost certainly dwarf $13,000,000.
Joe Hachem
Joe Hachem is an Australian poker player and winner of the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event. At the time, his $7,500,000 prize was the biggest in the history of the WSOP. Joe is no one-time fluke, either. He has won several more major tournaments since the WSOP and has racked up more than $10,000,000 in live tournament winnings.