As I noted in a recent op-ed, a very talented, experienced team of professionals in the online poker space have collaborated to produce a first-rate online poker offering, and that – for some reason – doesn’t seem to be generating as much buzz as it ought to be.

For a closer look at the online poker site itself, I invite you to check out our 4Poker room review. But that’s not what this particular op-ed is about. I wanted to know more about the people who’ve “made the site happen” and their approach to running an online poker site.

4Poker: Making a Name for Itself

The challenge of any new online poker site, especially in a crowded field that includes numerous household names and legacy operators, is to distinguish themselves and stand out from that aforementioned crowd. Pointedly, over the last few months, the team at 4Poker has produced a dozen top-quality videos that demonstrate what the site is about, how it will operate, and the unique selling points (USPs) that make it different than the other online poker sites out there. I believe those videos are quite instructive as to the team’s overall approach, and they go a long way towards demonstrating the extent to which 4Poker is about far more than “just” Bryn Kenney.

A Model of Openness and Transparency

The first video in the “Inside 4Poker series” features an interview with the company’s CEO, Heath Cram, as well as a shorter secondary chat with their Director of Marketing Tom Lenihan. At almost nine minutes long, that’s about a third of the total length of the 12-part video series. It’s also the most must-see of the lot.

The video series began being released six months ago and on camera they’re talking about how the company started its journey two years prior. So, while they’re a just-launched online poker room, their team has been working on creating 4Poker for 2.5 years now. More than half a dozen of the company’s key employees, from CEO on down to the Directors of Marketing, Legal Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Customer Experience, Payment Processing, and others feature in the interviews, which were conducted by veteran poker broadcaster Matthew Broughton.

4Poker’s Founding: Going Retro but with a Modern Twist

To bring a good idea to life, it takes enough people who believe in it enough to put their money where their mouths are. Kenney recruited “30-40 professional poker players” as the site’s initial investors. The team of poker industry professionals they recruited has “a combined over 150 years of experience” among them.

4Poker is based out of the Isle of Man, and — perhaps fittingly — the outfit is staffed by a number of ex-PokerStars employees. These are primarily folks who used to work at PokerStars way back in the days when it was a private company owned by the Scheinbergs; i.e., what veterans of our industry call and fondly remember as “the good old days.” Many of those folks took breaks from working in poker, and it would seem that to a degree “they got the band back together” to launch 4Poker.

Much like the 4Poker site has a classic look and feel, so does the team behind it; and they’re working towards propelling the site into prominence with today’s technology. Unlike the early days of Wild West online poker, the industry is now a mature one and there are plenty of excellent sites out there. Thus, the 4Poker team are seeking to distinguish themselves at first primarily by being the most generous with rakeback and deposit bonuses.

4Poker’s Overarching Promise: Players First, Always

It’s no secret that when it comes to online gambling on the whole, the money to be made (by a company) from offering online poker pales in comparison to what they could make from other verticals such as online casino and sports betting. It’s “only natural” then that, as the years have ticked by, more and more online poker sites have become part of a greater online gambling megabrand. The purity of a “poker first” focus and mentality has steadily been eroded, and that’s something I dearly miss from “back in the good old days.”

4Poker, as a standalone online poker site, is by definition different. Its sole focus is poker, and everyone working for the company plays poker and is genuinely passionate about the game. How lovely it will be to not incessantly be cross-sold to other gambling verticals!

The 4Poker team has the luxury and opportunity to “do things right” and truly develop a site that’s “by players and for players.” And that’s precisely what they’re promising to do in a number of key ways that set them apart as an extremely player-friendly site, including:

• A commitment to never charging for making deposits or withdrawals, with ultra-quick transaction processing
• Players will have a voice via the 4Poker 4Forum; this establishes a two-way communication channel where the company can directly respond to and cater to what the players want
• They have a player advisory board acting as the unofficial ombudsman, ensuring that management will staying true to player values
• Enhanced responsible gaming features, including offering self-imposed deposit limits, format exclusion, and self-exclusion periods. Players can also track their spending as they’ll have access to their own profit/loss data.
• They’re launching their flagship 4Poker Series of tournaments with ambitious guarantees and full knowledge they’re likely to miss. The team realizes: if you build it, they will come — and in the meantime, “early adopters will have a sweat at some free money.”

Conclusion

Having watched the Inside 4Poker video series, I couldn’t help but be reminded of when PokerStars released their Inside PokerStars video series about eight years back. It represented the first time an online poker operator took us behind the scenes to give players a greater and fuller understanding of how they operate and their approach to poker.

Reviews of the Inside PokerStars video series were universally positive, and those videos served to win many hearts and minds among poker players. It’s a wonder that no other online poker operator ever produced a bespoke video series about their own brands.

Until now.

But perhaps most notably and admirably, 4Poker produced their Inside 4Poker series and shared it with the public before even launching! They’ve realized their main challenge that lies ahead, of trying to lure poker players in a mature market. They realize they need to stand out, be transparent, and be crystal clear about what their site will offer players, and the company’s modus operandi.

And the folks behind the scenes have clearly understood the recipe for success. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. There’s already a formula for what will work. Should they stick to this formula and stay true to their stated principles, I have no doubt that legions of online poker players will find themselves competing at the 4Poker virtual felts in the not too distant future.

We’ve opened our doors wider across the globe giving even more players the chance to join our rolling beta. Bag your favourite username, try the 4Poker software and give your feedback on the 4Forum as we build towards full launch.

Read the latest here: https://t.co/VyT9LF2Qce pic.twitter.com/uy9B6GDMMu

— 4Poker (@WeAre4Poker) March 23, 2023

It’s had very modest traffic, as would be expected for a quiet beta testing that was building towards a tournament launch. And that’s where they appear to be right now. Just a couple days ago, 4Poker hosted its first ever MTTs: two freerolls and a $11 buy-in $500 guaranteed event. Then more of the same on Friday with a slightly larger $55 buy-in with a $1k guarantee. Small events.

Tournament at ⁦@WeAre4Poker⁩ are now just days away. We will announce our first high roller event soon! Until then, I’m sure grateful for everyone who has come to the site already and to say thank you, we’re giving away cash every day in April at our 4pm ET happy hour. pic.twitter.com/VI7qYDgDcQ

— Bryn Kenney (@BrynKenney) April 3, 2023

True to their word, 4Poker then announces that today they’ll be running $1k and $5k buy-in tournaments with $75k and $200k guarantees. It’s quite a statement that they’re laying big buy-ins on their first weekend tourneys. By all accounts, it would seem like like Bryn and 4Poker are putting their money where their mouth is.

These big online buy-ins are taking place today, on Sunday starting at 1pm and 1:30pm Eastern Time. It’ll be interesting to see whether they’ll hit their guarantees or if, by contrast, there will be large overlays. A lot of people have been quietly waiting to see what 4Poker can do. Will they challenge the market leaders? How long it will take 4Poker to build up momentum? Will it live up to its public promises about low rake, high rewards and no deposit fees?

Beyond Bryn: A Roster of Experienced, Professional Talent

Time will tell on those questions, but if you look closely, you can see what folks at the company have been up to behind the scenes. They appear to have built a very experienced team, leaning heavily upon former PokerStars staff based in the Isle of Man, to create a poker site that has every chance of making an impact. The most notable PokerStars alumni are the well-respected duo of Heath Cram as COO and Serge Bourenkov as CTO, but there are also a number of key personnel installed across poker room management, payments, and marketing departments. At least, there seem to be if my LinkedIn searches are anything to go by.

Heath Cram leaves Flutter to join 4Poker as COO #4Poker#WeAre4Poker#GoodNews4Poker#4PokerCommunityhttps://t.co/QbIKTNkd0F

— 4Poker (@WeAre4Poker) August 1, 2022

Moreover, 4Poker’s YouTube Channel has proven quite instructive as to what players and the industry as a whole can expect from them. Over the past half year they’ve released a dozen excellent, well produced videos totaling about half an hour in length laying the groundwork for what the company is all about (modus operandi), how the 4Poker online poker site will relate to and protect player security and game integrity, and a number of other interesting topics.

As our longtime fans and followers know, we tend to stay far away from any sorts of controversies, scandals, and other gossip happening in the poker world; that’s not what Cardplayer Lifestyle is about. As such, up until now — in the wake of the accusations from Martin Zamani — we haven’t dedicated any space to saying much about 4Poker. Moreover, 4Poker still felt like a faraway concept. It was a train down the track that you could see but not really hear. That train is now a lot closer.

Wherever you stand on Bryn Kenney as far as his on-felt poker exploits, from a business side of things he seems to have set 4Poker up for success based on the management team he’s assembled and their combined years of professionalism, expertise, and execution in the online poker sphere. The 4Poker site is regulated in Malta and they’re working on getting approval from the Isle of Man as well; those are gaming operations licenses that are hard earned.

Bryn’s challenge is of course to try and win over the high stakes community — but even if he should manage to do so, that community alone cannot sustain an online poker site. For 4Poker to succeed, it needs to be much bigger and reach far further.

Will they succeed? Time will tell, of course. Let’s see what happens, and judge the 4Poker team by their actions over the weeks and months to come.

With all that said, who have been the most successful poker players in the past five years? A poker era is often defined by the players who rise highest during that period, so in no particular order, we present the seven players who we will likely look back on as the champions of this current poker age.

The Most Successful Poker Players in the Last Five Years

Espen Jørstad

The Norwegian player is the most recent poker hero on the list, and it’s not only his 2022 WSOP Main Event victory that sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. If five years is the length of an ‘era’ in poker – and we’d like to suggest that it is – then it’s hard to argue against Jørstad being the archetypal poker player of our times.

Image credit: PokerGO

Jørstad’s victory in Las Vegas in 2022 wasn’t simply the culmination of a lot of hard work or the perfect storm of form, fortune, and fame all coming together. His win for $10 million was representative of those things, but also symbolized his embodiment of bettering himself. There’s also the synchronicity of the perfect doubles partner taking to the singles court. Jørstad hadn’t won a WSOP bracelet before the 2022 series, but then showed just how vital he was in the Tag Team event he won with Patrick Leonard.

Many observers assumed that Leonard was dominant and that Jørstad, the less-experienced player stepped back when things got tough. However, Leonard quickly corrected them. Leonard then enthusiastically supported his friend to the Main Event title just a fortnight later.

Daniel Negreanu

He may not have won a WSOP bracelet recently, but over the last five years Daniel Negreanu has once again been the most compulsively viewed elite poker pro. Leaving PokerStars and joining GGPoker, getting married to the love of his life Amanda Negreanu (nee Leatherman), playing Doug Polk heads-up online under the most intense scrutiny, and then winning the recent Super High Roller Bowl for $3.3 million, ‘Kid Poker’ has proven time and time again that he’s the biggest name in the game.

Image credit: Cardschat.com

Over the course of the past few years, Negreanu has brought the video lens into his personal and professional life, getting ever closer to a clamoring poker public. Negreanu’s candid nature and ‘no limit’ WSOP vlogs have brought what it is like to live his life into the public eye. At the same time he has closed the gap to the top of the all-time money leaders.

At the time of writing, Negreanu sits third on the all-time list for live tournament results at just a shade under $50 million total. One could make a good argument that only a couple of super-high-roller results for both the men above him separate Negreanu from the pinnacle. Adjust his earnings for inflation from day one, and Kid Poker is more likely the man at the top of the tree. With his media-friendly brand gaining more traction year after year, he looks set to stay in that position.

Koray Aldemir

The winner of the 2021 Main Event, Koray Aldemir has banked a vast amount in the past five years. But it’s not only his record of banking millions that put him on our list. It’s not all about the money, and when poker returned in 2021 after a period of difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was crucial for the game that the world champion was someone who would represent the game of poker in a great light.

Image credit: PokerGO

Aldemir has been a spectacular success both on and off the felt. The best of the best a year or so ago, Aldemir had the shortest reign of any world champion in the 52 years of the World Series of Poker, with just six months between lifting the bracelet and the 2022 WSOP beginning again in Las Vegas. Aldemir’s reign lasted only a short time, but he closed out the era at the Rio in style, getting the better of George Holmes heads-up to claim the 2021 top prize of $8 million.

WATCH: Bernard Lee’s interview with Koray Aldemir

Aldemir’s signature win in the 2021 WSOP Main Event is worth less than 40% of his lifetime’s earnings at the live felt. Winning two other million-dollar-plus tournaments, the German was a great champion for the shortest time in history, paving the way for poker to move into the new era under strong foundations. He is a player whom everyone can be proud to be represented by.

Bryn Kenney

The race to conquer the all-time money list in terms of tournament winnings has become a two-man race over the past half a decade. Bryn Kenney is one of the two men who has held the lead on multiple occasions. A controversial figure recently, Kenney has nevertheless proved that his brand of poker is one of the best in the world.

While many others have made their millions by hedging their bets and selling high percentages of action, it’s universally acknowledged that Kenney has put a vast proportion of his actual earnings on the line in the biggest events over the years. That has been rewarded with some magnificent results, including the $20 million top prize he won in the $1.1 million-entry Triton Million for Charity event in London in 2019.

Bryn Kenney is seen in some quarters as an enemy of players of a certain level, but we’d rather focus on the facts. Over the course of his incredible career, Kenney has won over $57.2 million in poker tournaments alone. The Long Islander has done it the hard way, going bust on several occasions before rising again to conquer the mountain. It’s his inability to quit which is perhaps his most valuable asset.

Steven Chidwick

Over the past half-decade, Stephen Chidwick’s ascent to the top of the British leaderboard has been impressive. Overtaking the dormant Sam Trickett and playing in high roller events on a regular basis, Chidwick is the superstar British player in a period which has seen others such as Sam Grafton win millions at the felt.

Chidwick was always an imperious player to watch in action, long before 2017. But his record since then has been remarkable, and his table presence like inviting a ringer into an amateur game. Often held up as the favourite of his peers, I asked one top pro his opinion about who was the best poker player in the world. His answer was short and to the point, ‘If it’s not Chidwick, then it’s wrong.’

Chidwick’s maiden WSOP bracelet win in the PLO High Roller event in June 2019 for $1,618,417 was only a surprise to the man himself – as he didn’t play as much PLO as NLHE at the time. To everyone else, however, it was vindication of a long-held belief. It was the obvious, yet awesome, statement that the toughest table imaginable in poker would have to contain Stephen Chidwick to qualify as such.

Michael Addamo

The Australian sensation Michael Addamo has been one of the touchstone poker players of recent times. But why? It’s not solely for his tremendous ability to win on a regular basis at the highest level. It’s not for his seemingly impregnable table image, his strength of will, and ability to take the lead when the line is starting to come into focus. All those traits are extremely applicable to Addamo, but none define him.

Image credit: PokerNews

The answer to the question ‘Why is Michael Addamo so great at poker?’ might easily be answered simply by looking at the years of 2017 to 2022 as a study in both results and – infinitely more importantly – reaction. Addamo’s success in this period is virtually without peer. But it has not only been his triumphs that are so symbolic. How quickly Addamo reacts to any bad beat, loss, or bubble moment and maintains his ‘A-Game’ is unparalleled.

As an example, Addamo is a regular in the weekly GGPoker Super MILLION$ series online. He is one of the most successful players, having won a record-equalling five times. He’s been unlucky not to win more. And out of less than 100 tournaments, that is ludicrous, especially considering the standard of his opponents in this exclusively high-roller event. Addamo has been denied in painful circumstances, or bounced into play on the back of a live tournament. Whenever he plays, he is the very best version of himself he can be, and that’s a very tough player to try to outwit.

Justin Bonomo

Finally, we come to the man who has currently won more money at the tournament tables in live poker than anyone else. Justin Bonomo’s name has become synonymous with big scores for many years now. But in the last five years, the Vegas-based pro has risen to the top of the ranks in stunning fashion.

Image Credit: PokerNews

As an illustrative point, the most successful player in World Series of Poker history is Phil Hellmuth. Justin Bonomo has won more than double Hellmuth’s haul of $28.4 million, building a phenomenal career at the felt in the process.

Bonomo, who has won a now-record amount of $58.8 million in live tournaments, is a player who is as feared as he is respected. Reigning over a top five that features legends such as Negreanu, Chidwick, Kenney and the evergreen Erik Seidel is no small feat. Can Bonomo keep up his phenomenal recent pace? If he can, then everyone else has a lot to fear over the next five years at the felt.

Or is it important to know a poker player inside and out?

Recently, poker fans have been given more and more opportunities to take an active role in the professional lives of poker players. Not only are most high-profile poker players on Twitter or other social media websites, but frequently, the best in the world sell a percentage of their buy-ins on sites such as PocketFives or Stake Kings. Fans today can not only follow their favorite players but take an effective interest in their game.

Is poker taking it too far to involve fans so heavily in players’ lives? Or should the game no longer only belong to those who sit down at the poker table? In a period of history where there is more interest in the private lives, bank balances, and celerity cachet of those we admire, is poker just the latest to succumb to this trend? Or can we know too much about those we follow at the felt?

A Personal Life or A Private Life?

Knowing everything about a poker player’s private life can hardly be beneficial to a poker fan, right? In this age of poker – wrong. From video blogs to ‘AMA’ (ask me anything) Twitter posts, poker players of a certain level are not just celebrities, they’re public figures whose lifestyles are their USPs (Unique Selling Points).

Daniel Negreanu isn’t just a fantastic poker player, he’s a video diary star at the World Series who can lose several figures in poker buy-ins before being in the red thanks to his popularity around the world when he appears on screen. This is no “plain old promoter” of online poker sites in Canada. From his Masterclass, to his numerous appearances around the world, Kid Poker is a global poker brand.

The same can be said for Phil Hellmuth, friend to the Hollywood and poker elite. If there’s a person of repute on the planet who hasn’t had a selfie with Hellmuth, they’re in line to do so! While Hellmuth is out there all the time and rightly called the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all-time) for his results at the World Series of Poker, the Phil immediately behind him on that list is quite the opposite.

Phil Ivey doesn’t do many interviews and carries an enigmatic glow about him. Yet his star has probably never been higher. We know relatively little about Ivey’s life in comparison to many other players, yet his popularity abounds. Proof that even in poker, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

Investing in the Financials

Back in the old days, knowing anything about how much money was won and lost by a particular poker player was almost besides the point. Did the poker fans of the 1970s and 1980s enjoy knowing what Doyle Brunson, Jack Strauss or Stu Ungar had made in their lifetimes? Of course not. It was all about the next game, or the last thrilling session at the felt.

Today we know a lot about how much players have won, thanks in no small part to The Hendon Mob, which has its pros and cons. While the greatest site in the poker world at collating poker tournament results from ranking events over the last half century has arguably proved its worth over the years, we often don’t know which players didn’t cash in events, or how many bullets they fired.

READ ALSO: Does Hendon Mob’s All Time Money List Matter or Not?

In an age where we know more and more about how players do on the felt, we’re not far away from floating avatars over their heads telling us how many events they’ve played this month and how they did. In the first fortnight of the 2022 World Series of Poker, Daniel Negreanu shared on his vlog that he was down around a quarter of a million dollars. While it won’t worry the man himself, who has won more than $46.1 million in live tournaments alone, it is perhaps an indicator of what’s coming. Namely an age where we know the profits and losses for any player of a certain level.

Staking and Making

The world of staking has never been more open in poker than it is today. But do we know enough about the players we invest in? As we’ve previously discussed, backing players based on their winnings on The Hendon Mob won’t tell you what that player has lost. But staking someone online has turned from a risky proposition to de rigueur in poker.

Poker fans will get the chance to sweat with Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) at the upcoming @WSOP as he announced a no-markup staking package that will go live on @PocketFives on Thursday, May 12 at 5 p.m. PT. https://t.co/6cdXDAYzmp

— PokerNews (@PokerNews) May 12, 2022

There are numerous sites upon which to stake your chosen player, and you can easily scroll through a sponsorship site such as Pocket Fives to find the players looking for the best mark-up. How much a player adds to their value in mark-up can affect whether they get staked or not.

Live staking has become less common, but still occurs. Swapping percentages with a friend can be one of the most fun pursuits in poker. In general, however, live staking has become less common, with the ability to do so online more appealing to most investors.

Headlines and Bright Lights

How much does it matter what a poker player does outside of the poker room? Away from the table, a poker player’s personality is more important than ever. As poker fans or investors, we want to know all about our chosen idol. Are they living their best lives away from the felt, or could a controversial moment be around the corner?

Returning to Phil Ivey again, his court case following his play of Punto Banco at the Crockfords casino in London rumbled on and on. But did the scandal take away from his mystique or add to it?

Controversies can haunt a poker player’s career, as in the case of Mike Postle. Postle never went on trial for his actions on a livestream when other players and fans accused him of cheating. Despite the lack of a conviction, Postle’s reputation is in tatters thanks to YouTube exposes and player and fan discussions of his actions or lack thereof.

Others see a dash of notoriety added to their resume following transgressions. Look at Stu Ungar. Unger is idolized as a three-time WSOP Main Event Winner despite his drug addictions and the impact of his behavior on others in the poker world. While transgressions can sometimes turn us off – who’d want to watch Mike Postle play on alive stream now? They also help us warm to other players. If anything, the more we know of a player’s weaknesses, the more we can accentuate their strengths… if they’re likeable.

Cheats Never Prosper… or Do They?

In recent times, the actions of poker players have been brought into sharp focus, with stars of the game such as Bryn Kenney, Ali Imsirovic, and Jake Schindler all being accused of cheating or other improprieties. So should poker fans be privy to these investigations or not?

This writer would argue that maybe we shouldn’t. While it is easy to judge a player based on the merits of uneven, biased reporting, if a crime has been committed it should investigated by the relevant authorities. In poker, trial by media is commonplace. It’s all too easy for fans to buy into a headline then expand further on it until whoever is accused is hung, drawn, and quartered by Twitter.

If there is any area of the game in which poker fans might benefit from knowing less about poker players, it would be the negative aspects of their personalities. So why shouldn’t we amplify the greats of the game and inspire others to catch up, both on and off the felt?

How much information is too much information? Just as in the game itself, the future is likely to be richer the more information we can access on the players we love to watch.

Indeed, poker is not only appealing for those who are seeking a casual form of entertainment. There is also the possibility for individuals to reach a professional level within the field of poker. Owning to the fact that poker is a game based on strategy and not luck, this type of playing often takes years of experience and practice.

Firstly, it is important to define what exactly a professional poker player is. A professional poker player is simply someone who pays all or the majority of their bills and expenses with their winnings from the poker table, rake back and any other poker related endorsements or revenue. With this type of playing, there is the potential acquire several streams of income. However, it is not possible to transition from being a casual poker player to a professional one in a few weeks or even months.

To learn the game at a world class level, develop your poker strategy, and become a regularly winning player it would take at the least a year to do. This would require the average poker player to play around 100,000 hands. Although there is no guarantee that you will earn a salary from poker playing after this time period, you should have certainly improved your skills in the game.

Luckily, there are many ways to do so without having to go to a physical or land-based casino. Many players now opt to play online poker due to the convenience and easy access an online poker site brings. Currently only barely more than a handful of states in the US allow online poker sites to operate including Nevada, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, Connecticut and New Jersey, meaning poker games and poker guides can be very limited.

The Canadian online Poker market is developing fast and Ontario is the first province to become regulated by iAGCO, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission. 888 poker Canada are a leading regulated poker site available to Ontario residents, offering world class poker games and tournaments. The site is also accessible for many American pokers players who can access some of the highest quality educational content, including an A-Z guide on everything you need to know about poker. These guides can help American players learn the basics of how to play poker, the different poker hands and also help improve their poker strategy for the next time they play online or face-to-face.

Furthermore, the field of professional poker is extremely competitive all over the world. In fact, in the past few years the number of professional poker players has soared in North America. One of the best poker players on the scene in North America is Bryn Kenney who is ranked first in worldwide career tournament earnings, at currently just over $57.2 million according to Hendonmob.com. Bryn has traced his interest in poker back to his younger years when he began to play poker online. After becoming competitive in his online poker playing, Bryn made the transition to playing at live events and acquired further success from that point.

Justin Bonomo is another famous professional poker player who closely follows Bryn on the all-time money list trailing him just under $100,000. He is probably best known for his terrific performance in 2018, which included a WSOP gold bracelet win. Bonomo began playing poker professionally as a teenager and studied the playing styles of his opponents in order to succeed and triumph over them. His youth and reputation for analysing the details in poker playing has made his career one of the most successful in the industry.

Yet another well-known name in the professional poker playing community is David Peters who, too, has slowly and steadily climbed his way up the charts to be among the top earning North American poker players, with over $38 million in career tournament winnings. His interest in poker started when he began playing poker online. However, he only really began to achieve success in the field when he decided to expand his knowledge about the game and teach himself about poker. In this sense, Peter is proof that to achieve accreditation in professional poker playing, you must be committed to not only playing it, but also developing your abilities.

There are also several successful Canadian poker players who have been victorious in playing this game professionally. Daniel Negreanu is the highest earning Canadian professional poker player who has earned over $46 million in live poker tournament winnings. He also has cemented his name as a Poker Hall of Famer, where he was inducted in 2014. His fellow Canuck, Timothy Adams, should also be recognised as one of Canada’s most successful poker players, with over $26 million in lifetime tournament earnings, which include a WSOP bracelet among many other titles.

To conclude, as individuals are becoming increasingly interested in playing poker there is also a dramatic surge in those who are seeking to take it a step further and attempt to play the game professionally. Although this is a feasible career option for many, it is one that requires years of professional experience and dedication. The best way to acquire experience and strategy in this field is by practicing whether it is online of in person. Indeed, the competitive nature of many professional poker players is a trait that ensures they have success in their career. With these professional poker players proving that you can earn money from the game, the attractiveness of playing the game professionally is only set to flourish even more in the coming years.

Image Credit: Motorsport Magazine

It’s a common enough question to wonder how competent each of the world’s best F1 drivers might be at poker, and some of them even refer to the game. For instance, former Ferrari driver Kimi Raikonnen has played:

Via Wolfgang Poker: I played poker with F1 legend @kimimatiasraikkonen in my recent vlog! just out here living my best life LFGGG!!! #Kimi7 #KR7 #USGP pic.twitter.com/djZnFgTNVO

— Raikkonen Indonesia (@KimsterIndo) December 15, 2021

 Sebastian Vettel rates his pokerface

Poker face #F1 #Vettel pic.twitter.com/ZhdR6vEEPd

— Sebastian Vettel #5 (@sebvettelnews) April 19, 2021

and the legend that is Michael Buffer even describes two areas of his own particular brand of expertise as including both F1 and the card game we all love more than any other.

I’ve already done 100s of announcements on 6 continents for..
NHL Stanley Cup
NBA Finals
NFL Champ’nships
MLB WorldSeries
NCAA
INDY 500
Formula 1
NASCAR
Tennis Titles
Poker Tournaments
Olympic Games https://t.co/dijAKKxhOR

— Michael Buffer (@Michael_Buffer) May 5, 2021

Have you ever wondered how good some of the biggest names in poker might be on the track? We couldn’t help ourselves. From World Series of Poker legends to online and live poker crushers, we’ve picked 10 Formula 1 drivers from the world of poker and predicted how they would perform on the track.

1. Bryn Kenney (U.S.A.)

Known for his ability to play at the very highest level of poker for plenty of his own money, Bryn Kenney isn’t afraid to put his foot down at the poker felt. How would he fare on the Formula 1 track? The Long Islander would be determined to qualify in pole position, putting himself in the best place for a dominant run to the checkered flag.

Holding on to the lead, as Kenney has shown in his epic pursuit of the all-time money list number one spot against rival Justin Bonomo, might be tricky, but he wouldn’t give an inch and every turn would be taken at breakneck speed.

Verdict: A certain podium finish, but just misses top spot after a late swerve and skid costs him the win. 3rd.

Image credit: Cardschat.com

2. Daniel Negreanu (Canada)

Kid Poker is perhaps the most recognizable face at the poker felt, but how would he fare under the helmet of an F1 driver? Negreanu would be all about the numbers, crunching his statistics in order to give himself the best chance of victory.

Playing under the restrictions of his own training, Negreanu would be a tough competitor, but relying on the numbers takes away the natural flow to his drive. At the crucial moment, Kid Poker would be too busy thinking about what he should do, instead of driving on instinct.

Verdict: A late look at his hairpin stats costs Negreanu the lead early, as he misses a car on the track and spins off into the tyre wall. Did Not Finish.

Image Credit: PokerNews

3. Justin Bonomo (U.S.A.)

The all-time money list leader may be impervious to criticism at the felt, but confined to the cramped space of an F1 car traveling at hundreds of miles per hour into every turn, things would be tougher for the top earning tournament poker player in the world.

Bonomo would be focused on the win at all times as he pursues Kenney around the track, but while he’d get close to Kenney and overtake him after the former’s risky hairpin near the finish line, Bonomo wouldn’t see another driver in a modified helmet race past him and take victory.

Verdict: Runner-up position for Bonomo, who refuses to spray champagne around the paddock, donating the bottle to charity.

Image credit: PokerGO News

4. Stephen Chidwick (United Kingdom)

The only British driver on the racetrack, could Chidwick’s temperament be the difference as he negotiates the curves of the raceway as he does the vicissitudes of tournament poker? There’s no doubting the calmness and posture of the man, but what about the car?

Formula 1 drivers have to hunch over for up to 70 laps of brain-crushing motion, so the idea of Chidwick in his comfort zone would be as far removed from the process of poker as it can possibly be.

Verdict: A battling 5th place, but it’s the stretch after leaving the car that Chidwick is chasing.

5. Phil Hellmuth Jr (U.S.A.)

The Poker Brat is a demon at the felt, but how would one of the best players of all-time be able to negotiate the bends of a Formula 1 circuit at 200 mph? Hellmuth is capable of hero calls and folds at the felt, but what about checking the rear-view?

For a player who constantly looks forward, Hellmuth would be brilliant at overtaking, but, vulnerable to what’s coming up from behind him as the youth of today accelerate towards him, getting out of the path of a young European (“idiot from Northern Europe”?) who cuts him up costs Hellmuth his race. Spinning out of control, he is asked to come into the pits, where he joins frenemy Negreanu in bemoaning his awful luck around the track.

Verdict: Spun off on the tracks, curse words trailing in his slipstream as he power-walks to the pits, Hellmuth cheers up over Sour Patch Kids and a vegan coffee with Negreanu.

Image credit: PokerStars Blog

6. Phil Ivey (U.S.A.)

A complete enigma at the poker table, how would Ivey fare under the spotlights and cheering masses on race day? With difficulty, we’d presume. But could he edge his way through the pack to finish first after all?

Ivey would no doubt be getting practice on the sly and show some great moves early on in the race. However, after missing qualifying entirely due to a particularly juicy cash game in Macau, Ivey is never able to catch up, lagging in second to last despite an early overtake and some solid lap times.

Verdict: 7th place. Ivey is on a private jet before the trophy is awarded to the eventual winner.

Image credit: Cardplayer.com

7. Michael Addamo (Australia)

Uncompromising, taking the best lines and utterly fearless, Michael Addamo might just be the most comparable poker player to a Formula 1 driver that the mind sport has ever enjoyed. The Aussie would have plenty to chat about with fellow Antipodean Daniel Ricciardo, but could he prove as successful as winning titles?

Addamo’s ability to adapt is without question, but after some early moves put him in the lead, he is surprised by both Bonomo and Kenney, who prove to have plenty of staying power. Addamo, in great form over recent practices, learns the value of experience as he slides from an early lead to further back by the home straight.

Verdict: 4th place, but lessons learned for GTO steps in the future.

Image credit: PokerNews

8. Erik Seidel (U.S.A.)

The New Yorker, fresh from his 83rd poker tournament of the year, would be Mr. Consistent at the racetrack. Dressed immaculately in a classic all-in-one, Seidel would be on point and up-to-date with all the latest moves. But can he turn that into victory?

Qualifying in third place, Seidel falls victim to the first corner as the polite poker player refuses to bump wheels for fear of causing injury. On the team radio, the nine-time WSOP bracelet winner is heard telling his colleagues in the pits: “I’d rather win clean or not at all, guys.” That transpires as the early corners cost him the chance of victory.

Verdict: 6th, but a clean conscience and with no one getting hurt on their way back to the paddock.

Image credit: PocketFives

9. Fedor Holz (Germany)

Flying into action, the German youngster would be innovation personified as he dons the helmet emblazoned with the words ‘Primed Mind’ on the front and Pokercode on his arms. Setting off at a fair pace, Holz flies around the first corner past a static Seidel, then pushes past everyone bar Bonomo and Kenney.

On the final corner, Holz overtakes them both, but as he evens up to take the flag, his car is bumped wheel-to-wheel by a rival he never saw coming. Perhaps it’s because he didn’t notice any sun reflecting off a helmet at all…

Verdict: It’s last place and 8th for the German, after he has to get out and push the car over the line following that late smash.

Image credit: PokerGO News

10. Doyle Brunson (U.S.A.)

Driving without a helmet and taking the win right at the death is none other than Doyle Brunson! Sure, the ‘Wild West’ legend of poker lore wasn’t expected to pull up any trees by many, but with a history of achievement in basketball this man could have been a sporting superstar instead of a poker legend.

With any old injuries banished to the past for one glorious final race, ‘Texas Dolly’ cuts a path through the entire field, and when he sees Holz making a beeline for the finish, tracks his every move. On the final corner, Brunson takes the opposite line and evens up his car ahead of Holz, who bumps into the back wheels of Brunson’s car and spins out. Holding his cowboy hat aloft, Texas Dolly crosses the line to the cheers of poker and Formula 1’s finest.

Verdict: Doyle Brunson is the finest Formula 1 driver poker has never seen…well, not yet anyway!

Think it won’t happen? Who would rule anything out in these days of pay-per-view sports and crossover appeal between like-minded gamblers? We’re just hoping the side bets won’t be too crazy.

In any event, once we get to December, 12 months from now, which poker player will we say had the best year? This list, in no particular order, takes a look at who we might expect to crush it in the poker world in 2020.

Stephen Chidwick

It’s “always” Stephen Chidwick’s year, and 2020 will almost certainly be no different.

Considered by many of his high-stakes peers as the best tournament poker player in the world, Chidwick added to his resume with another outstanding year in 2019. The English crusher posted six wins over the course of the year, finishing third on the 2019 money list (according to Hendon Mob) with $13,146,265 in earnings.

Photo Courtesy Poker Central

Chidwick finished fifth in the Global Poker Index 2019 Player of the Year race, took down a pair of wins at the 2019 U.S. Poker Open, and added his first career WSOP bracelet to the resume in Las Vegas over the summer.

It’s probably a pretty safe bet that Chidwick will end 2020 with another unbelievable record of tournament results.

Alex Foxen

The man who  topped the 2019 GPI Player of the Year rankings, for the second straight year, was Alex Foxen.

Foxen and Chidwick spent 2019 going back and forth trading places as No. 1 and No. 2 on the overall GPI rankings. Foxen ended the year in the No. 1 spot, regaining that ranking after a string of final table appearances at the World Poker Tour Five Diamond Classic at the Bellagio in December.

Foxen put the finishing touches on another exceptional year with a win in the $10,000 main event of the Five Diamond, adding $1,694,995 to a career earnings total that now sits at over $15 million, and he’s already started off 2020 strong with a third place finish in the $10K partypoker MILLIONS UK event in Nottingham.

Andrew Neeme

You’ll have to tune in to Andrew Neeme’s poker vlog to get some insight on how he’s actually faring at the poker table; there are always ups and downs for cash game grinders. Neeme’s YouTube exploits, however, are flourishing, with Neeme ending 2019 at over 130,000 subscribers, and counting.

READ MORE: Interview with Andrew Neeme

Neeme, as well as Brad Owen, make this list for their places in the 2020 poker world in general. These guys have really built an important brand in the Meet Up Games, with huge numbers of poker players showing up wherever the MUGs are scheduled.

The success of the MUGs are an indication that live poker in the U.S. is alive and well, and Neeme and Owen are two of the most important figures in poker because of it.

pic.twitter.com/FW5IJTHMwN

— Poker MUGs (@Poker_MUGs) January 3, 2020

Brad Owen

For the same reasons listed above for Andrew Neeme, Brad Owen will continue to be a vital figure in the poker industry in 2020.

I don’t say this often enough: Support @TheBradOwen‘s poker vlog work!

That is all.

(His vids speak for themselves, and they’re great! )https://t.co/wt8KkLJAl3

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) January 11, 2020

Owen’s YouTube channel is over the 165,000 subscribers mark as of this writing, and that following has translated to big success with the Meet Up Games series. The MUGs ventured into new territories in 2019, including Deadwood, South Dakota, and every event in the series packs the poker rooms, the waiting lists, and whatever properties are on the schedule.

The MUGs will hit London at Aspers, Casino, later this month, and there’s no reason to think 2020 won’t be an even bigger year for Owen, Neeme and their Meet Up Games brand.

Fried Meulders

Members of the Upswing Poker lab know exactly who Fried Meulders is, as the Belgian cash-game crusher is one of key members of the Upswing coaching staff.

The man known as mynameiskarl on PokerStars is also well-known and respected among the 500NL Zoom pool, where he has resided as one of the best online poker players in the world for years. Meulders might be a bit under the radar for the rest of the world, however.

Meulders is the creator of what’s currently one of the best poker strategy YouTube channels in the world. If you’re into high-level (and highly entertaining) poker strategy content, Meulders’ channel is must-see.

He’s already one of the very best 500NL Zoom players on the planet, as well as a world-class poker coach. Perhaps 2020 is the year that Meulders’ YouTube channel blows up as well.

Danny Tang

It takes a while just to scroll through all of Danny Tang’s 2019 cashes when you look him up on Hendon Mob.

Tang took down the GPI Asia Player of the Year award thanks to 37 total cashes and earnings of more than $6 million for the year. Tang enters 2020 as the No. 14-ranked player in the overall GPI, and his 2019 included five wins, two seven-figure finishes and a $944,789 payday for a second-place finish in the €100,000 Super High Roller event at EPT Barcelona.

A force to be reckoned with in both traditional and short deck hold’em, Tang has established himself as one of the world’s finest, and that trend should continue in the next year.

Veronica Brill

If anyone deserves to have a great year in 2020, it’s Veronica Brill.

Brill’s actions led to the exposure of a cheating scandal that was unfortunately one of poker’s biggest stories in 2019. Brill was a first-hand witness to an ongoing pattern of strange play, and unfathomable win rates, from the individual at the center of that scandal.

This was the last show I did commentary on for Stones Live Poker. A lot of what @Mike_Postle was doing didn’t make sense. It was after this show i decided that i wanted to take it to the MF streets.
This clip shows how confused I was by his play
https://t.co/fTJ9gyZlod

— Veronica 2.0 (@Angry_Polak) October 4, 2019

That story is still unfolding as 2020 begins, but perhaps it never comes to light in the first place without Brill’s gutsy decision to say something publicly about what she was seeing. If karma is a real thing, 2020 will be big year for Brill.

Ali Imsirovic

Imsirovic was the GPI  Breakout Player of the Year for 2018 and he followed up with another fantastic year in 2019. Imsirovic finished No. 10 in both the GPI Player of the Year race, as well the overall GPI rankings at the end of 2019.

3rd for £112,000! Was a fun run
Now time to eat some ramen & go run hot in the next 25k

— Ali (@aliImsirovic)

He bookended 2019 with major wins, beginning the year by taking down the U.S. Poker Open’s $25,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $442,500 in January, and finishing with a victory in the $50,000 Bellagio High Roller at the WPT Five Diamond Classic in December, a $600,000 payday.

Imsirovic has established himself as a world-class player at the highest of stakes, and there’s no limit (pun intended) to what the young superstar can accomplish in 2020.

Kristen Bicknell

For the third consecutive time, Kristen Bicknell earned GPI Female Player of the Year honors in 2019.

The partypoker pro finished the year as the No. 16 ranked player in the overall GPI rankings, and Bicknell’s 2019 included three wins and more than $2.4 million in earnings. One of those wins came at the Poker Masters, which saw Bicknell take down the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em event for a $408,000 payday.

Photo Courtesy partypoker

Bicknell has also already started off 2020 on the right foot, with a 13th place finish in the $10K partypoker MILLIONS UK event in Nottingham, and there’s no reason to think she’ll slow down over the next 12 months.

Bryn Kenney

The year 2020 will almost certainly be a good one for Bryn Kenney, even if he decides not to play in a single poker tournament.

Kenney has risen to the top of the all-time tournament earnings list, where he sits with more than $56 million in career winnings as 2020 begins. He made the giant leap to the top with $30,321,414 in earnings in just 2019 alone, the highest one-year total of all time, with much of that total due to a second-place finish at the Triton Million for Charity event, netting him $20,563,324.

Last year marked the second time Kenney topped the annual earnings list, as he accomplished the feat in 2017 as well. Kenney’s record-setting 2019 also included three other seven-figure finishes, and it’s probably safe to say the outlook on 2020 is looking quite rosy, indeed.

The ascension of @BrynKenney on the All-Time Money List per @TheHendonMob:
May 2007: 7,523rd
June 2008: 4,783rd
July 2010: 1,033rd
Jan 2011: 450th
Jan 2012: 333rd
June 2014: 189th
May 2015: 90th
Feb 2016: 49th
Jan 2017: 20th
Jan 2018: 10th
May 2019: 4th
Aug 3rd 2019: 1st

— Remko Rinkema (@RemkoRinkema) August 3, 2019

When I first discovered the game, it was straight to YouTube to ingest whatever coverage was available be it; binge watching every series of High Stakes Poker to the soothing tones of Gabe Kaplan, The Big Game, Poker Premier League, and of course an unhealthy view count of Phil Hellmuth blow-ups, “He called a raise with queen-ten honey!”

Obviously, there’s a lot of sentiment to the past amongst the poker community — heck, some people have felt poker’s time is past and have turned to sites like ranking kasyn for guidance on online casinos to try and make money online — but I believe 2019 has been great year for the game. Online poker legalisation is a topic that’s been picking up steam in the United States with Pennsylvania and West Virginia joining the short list of states that have legalised it. The inaugural PSPC kicked off 2019 with an absolute bang, the 50th annual World Series of Poker wasn’t without its share of drama, and now we’ve probably just witnessed the most entertaining high roller series ever in Triton Poker London.

2019 has without doubt been my favourite year of coverage of the game we love to play and, in my opinion, these are the top 10 moments to happen in poker so far this year.

10. Jungleman’s side bet goes horribly wrong

Dan “Jungleman” Cates is one of my favourite players to watch and arguably has a claim to two of the top 10 moments to happen so far in 2019. His antics with his-out-of-the-blue explicit video caused mass-hysteria on poker twitter, regardless if you think it was in bad taste it was one of the most out there moments to occur in 2019, and caused a buzz amongst the community.

However, it was Jungleman’s notorious side bet which hilariously backfired that took the biscuit. Playing in the Triton Series in March, a short-stacked Jungleman is seen taking action on a side bet about whether he can toss a chip into the where the community cards are dealt. He tosses the chip onto the felt, but as you’ll see it was his option to act which meant he had to call the big-blind… this then led to his eventual elimination from the tournament.

It’s a clip that I’ve watched numerous times and with each watch I find myself laughing harder and harder. Never change, Jungleman.

Poker players will LITERALLY bet on ANYTHING!

(via @tritonpoker) pic.twitter.com/cjcYOMnKPZ

— PokerNews (@PokerNews) March 21, 2019

9. Femi Fashakin scoops the Big 50

To win any poker tournament, regardless of the number runners, is always a good feeling. But, imagine the thrill of winning a poker tournament that had the highest number of entrants in history! That’s exactly what Big 50 winner Femi Fashakin did as he turned his $500-dollar entry-fee into cool $1.15 million at this year’s WSOP. Fashakin, who had already recorded $60,000 in tournament winnings, overcame 28,370 other entries to pick up his first WSOP bracelet and etch his name into the history books. Post-script: Then, he went ahead and cashed in the WSOP Main Event, to boot!

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/pY7itXemAz

— femi fashakin (@femitfash) June 9, 2019

8. The Tragic Death of Gavin Smith

It’s never a good day to lose someone from the community, whether that be someone from your local cardroom, streamers such as Liliya Novikova, or Kevin ‘Racks’ Roster, who won the hearts of many after this year’s WSOP. One of the biggest names to take his place in the sky was poker legend Gavin Smith who sadly passed away at age 50 in January.

Smith was a regular high stakes player during the initial poker boom, making appearances on Poker After Dark, Late Night Poker, and Face the Ace. The WPT Season IV player of the year was regarded as one of the nicest and funniest guys in poker. The “moment” alone might not be one some would include on a list like this, but I’ve included it because of the special way in which the poker community has come to the aid of the Smith family. Since his passing, approximately $120,000 has been raised to benefit his boys through poker tournaments, stand-up comedy benefits, silent auctions, and more. The GoFundMe page is still live and you can donate by following the link.

At Comedy for the Caveman @OleGSmith hosted by @MarkShunock and @Stapes at “The Space” in Las Vegas. Looks like a great crowd for a great cause! #ForTheKids pic.twitter.com/eieS6DVrhk

— Matt Savage (@SavagePoker) May 30, 2019

7. Garry Gates’ 4th place finish in the WSOP Main Event

A former Las Vegas grinder turned poker industry veteran, Garry Gates‘ extraordinary run in this year’s WSOP Main Event was one of those proverbial “victories for the good guys.” Gates, a survivor of the tragic 2017 Las Vegas shooting, brought a large and vocal rail to the final table, and from watching the broadcast and monitoring social media it sure felt like the entire world wanted Gates to win the tournament.

I plan to write something longer about my experience this week and respond to every last message I received, but for now I just want to say thank you to everyone who sent their love and support throughout this wild ride.

Best. Rail. Ever. #LFGGG pic.twitter.com/nxpKa86XFZ

— Garry Gates (@GarryGates) July 16, 2019

It seemed as though people had only positive things to say about Gates, and I was overcome with emotion after learning about his story. Like so many others, was overjoyed when he took 4th place in the world’s most prestigious poker tournament for a life-changing score worth $3,000,000.

6. Poker bots banned with massive refunds being given back to players

While this might not be a “moment” strictly speaking, one of the top things to happen for the online community this year has been a further crackdown by online poker sites such as partypoker and WPN which has seen over $700,000 refunded back to players and close to 300 bots banned. We players are the first to, and rightly so, criticise sites when there’s unwanted changes in their terms of service but we must also recognise and congratulate the good work these sites are carrying out in order to achieve a fair playing field for online players.

5. Dario Sammartino vs. Jack Effel

“You call 17, you’re calling 22!” were the words that left a sour taste in WSOP Main Event runner-up Dario Sammartino’s mouth.

The difference of opinion between Dario Sammartino and WSOP Vice President Jack Effel brought the Main Event final table to a standstill and left many with their jaws dropped. After an unfortunate dealer miscount, Sammartino saw that his pocket tens were crushed by Nick Marchington’s pocket queens.

Effel was called to the floor after the protests of Sammartino regarding the dealer miscount, Effel relayed the ‘accepted action’ rule that the WSOP has in place for situations such as this, but it was his final comments that caused the stir.

Was Effel needling Sammartino regarding poker strategy or was he simply stating the rules that “if you’re calling 17 million, you must call 22 million.” Over half a million people (thus far) have watched Joey Ingram‘s “investigation” of the moment in question.

4. Jean-Robert Bellande’s infamous shove with 53 suited pre

This needs no introduction, and the look on the face of Andrew Robl, a backer of JRB, will be ingrained in my mind for years to come. This is just brilliant and another highlight reel moment for Jean Robert Bellande.

3. Bryn Kenney tops poker’s all-time money list

Whenever the #1 spot on poker’s All Time Money List changes, it’s a big deal. And, that’s just what happened when Bryn Kenney finished runner-up in the £1,050,000 No-Limit Hold-Em – Triton Million for Charity earlier this month.

Kenney added a whopping $20.5 million to his already gargantuan life time tournament earnings to eclipse Justin Bonomo at the top spot. Kenney is sitting pretty at #1 with a grand total of $55.5 million in lifetime earnings, which is $7 million clear of Bonomo. With six- and seven-figure tournament buy-ins being all the rage these days, how long will it take Bonomo — or someone else — to claim the top spot by the end of 2020?

2. Bryce Yockey eliminated from the $50K Poker Players Championship

The $50,000 Poker Players Championship bracelet event at the 50th Annual World Series of Poker gave us a contender for the worst bad beat of all time; well one that was caught on camera at least.

In the Limit 2-7 Triple Draw orbit, Bryce Yockey was a 99% favourite with the second nuts at PAT #2 only for Josh Arieh to get sticky and draw perfectly to complete the wheel, knocking Yockey out in fourth place and costing him (at least) $140,000 and possibly a bracelet in the process.

READ MORE: Draw Games Poker Guide

1. Ramón Colillas wins the PSPC

As already mentioned, 2019 got off to an absolute flyer with the inaugural PSPC, a $25,000 No Limit Hold-Em tournament that captured the attention of everyone in the poker world.

PSPC Key Facts

• 1,039 players
• $26,455,500 prize pool
• $1 million added to first-place prize
• Largest ever field for a $25,000 tournament

This event was universally hailed by the professional poker community as a must-attend and by recreational players the world-over as a must-watch. It was a brilliant, one-of-a-kind event featuring 320 Platinum Pass winners. What made it even more memorable was that one of those Platinum Pass holders, Ramón Colillas, took first place and the $5.1 million prize. He has since gone on to become a PokerStars ambassador. Quite the moment, indeed!

The all-time money list is one of the more common ways that poker players and fans determine who is the best. While this certainly isn’t the only way to gauge how good a poker player is, lifetime tournament earnings certainly can tell us a lot about a poker player’s skill. Sure, some poker players in the top 100 of the all-time earnings list have only had one huge score (see also: Gold, Jamie), and many players in the top 50 have earned the bulk of their winnings in super high roller tournaments with limited field sizes and astronomically high buy-ins, but when we look at the top names on the all-time money list, it’s very much a who’s who of poker.

All results and figures courtesy of Thehendonmob.com

If you fantasize about some day perhaps making it on to the all-time poker money list and are looking to start your journey towards the top, it might be best to first test the waters online and build yourself a bankroll online, so you should look for a good poker bonus code and grab a sign-up bonus as well if one’s available at a reputable site.

In the meantime, we’ll take a snapshot at the top five players on the all-time money list and a brief look at how they got there. Of course, we’ve got to add the caveat that with so many high buy-in events taking place throughout the calendar year, amounts won and place/spot on the list are constantly in flux.

Justin Bonomo – Lifetime Earnings: $58,426,404

In 2018, Bonomo had the best poker tournament run in history, having won upwards of $25 million! He had incredible string of final table finishes and wins all over the world, from the Bahamas to Malta to Hong Kong and Las Vegas. He won every major high roller poker tournament in 2018, including the Super High Roller Bowls in China and Las Vegas, as well as a second WSOP bracelet, in the $10K Heads Up Championship.

Breaking – Justin Bonomo Wins 2018 Super High Roller Bowl ($5,000,000) https://t.co/1y3A1n44HC pic.twitter.com/WZrSmlGx4A

— The Poker Wire (@thePokerWire) May 31, 2018

Already having accomplished the unthinkable, Bonomo went on to do the impossible, winning a third bracelet (second one in 2018) in the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop for a $10 million score.

There is big and then there is @JustinBonomo.
Wins Big One for @OneDrop for $10,000,000 and takes the top spot on poker’s all-time money list. 1⃣
https://t.co/wtwTU6NmGw pic.twitter.com/abfFDN0rz2

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) July 18, 2018

Bonomo was already a stellar poker player with over $18 million in career wins prior to 2018, so his performances over the past couple years have vaulted him from the top 20 into second place overall. Quite the achievement indeed!

Bryn Kenney – Lifetime Earnings: $57,221,865

Active in the poker tournament scene since 2007, Bryn Kenney recorded his first million dollar year in 2011. After a couple “off” years (by his standards), Kenney hasn’t looked back, posting annual results since 2014 of over 1, 2, 5, 8.5, and 5 million. In 2019 alone, prior to the WSOP, he amassed an astonishing $9.1 million in earnings.

Big Congratulations!! @BrynKenney wins ANOTHER title at #TritonMontenegro2019, claiming the HKD 1m NLH Main Event trophy and the first place prize of HKD 21.3m (USD $2.77m)

Full Recap: https://t.co/yE2aPTXJdy
The Live Stream continues: https://t.co/YD58raNsrv pic.twitter.com/EJpJmIsAOO

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) May 10, 2019

Kenney’s crowning moment, however, was notching the largest-ever poker tournament score, $20.5 million for a second place finish (after he agreed to a chop with the event’s eventual winner while holding the chip lead) at the £1,050,000 No-Limit Hold’Em – Triton Million for Charity event in London.

He’s number one in the all-time money listings. He’s Bryn @BrynKenney Kenney, the $55 million dollar man. https://t.co/peOhnBAdhf

— PokerNews (@PokerNews) August 11, 2019

While Kenney’s spot might arguably be “tainted” by the fact that he has almost exclusively played on the super high roller circuit — in events with buy-ins of $25K or more — over the last few years, so have dozens of others, and they don’t have the results he can boast. There’s no reason to believe Kenney will slow down anytime soon, so look for him to keep competing for the top spot on this list for a while.

Daniel Negreanu – Lifetime Earnings: $49,593,777

Prior to Bonomo’s ridiculous 2018 run, and Kenney’s insane $20+ million runner-up Triton Poker event score, Kid Poker had earned more money playing live poker than anyone else. The Canadian poker hero has been grinding the poker tables for more than a couple decades now and he has amassed a fortune in live poker tournament earnings. A first-ballot Poker Hall of Famer, he continues working on his game to ensure that he can stay atop this list, as the competition gets ever tougher. To point, his most recent score was a massive $3.3 million payday for winning the 2022 Super High Roller Bowl.

Negreanu has also capitalized on his popularity in the poker world. A staple for years on all the top poker TV shows, Negreanu also pumps out plenty of content of his own for fans to enjoy on YouTube as well as his Full Contact Poker blog and podcast.

Exclusive new interview with @RealKidPoker. Grab the popcorn! https://t.co/OjKNjYlBLa #poker #LFG #TheWaitIsOver pic.twitter.com/hNl4ZF6Kmk

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 5, 2015

Stephen Chidwick – Lifetime Earnings: $44,321,124

Far and away England’s top all-time poker tournament money winner (more than double the career total of Sam Trickett; a mindboggling stat on its own!), Stephen Chidwick continues his relentless climb up this list. Holder of a WSOP bracelet and with over a dozen(!) wins coming in events featuring buy-ins of $25,000 or more, Chidwick is an absolute beast on the super high roller circuit. This is his second-best overall year to date, with cashes totaling over $5 million and there’s no reason to believe his train will slow down anytime soon.

Congratulations to Stephen Chidwick on winning his first WSOP bracelet in the $25,000 PLO High Roller. He wins $1,618,417 after defeating a field of 278 players.https://t.co/bC6nTJzSRP pic.twitter.com/Di5s7q29XC

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 23, 2019

Erik Seidel – Lifetime Earnings: $41,993,297

Seidel has been playing live poker actively for decades now. A winner of eight WSOP bracelets, he’s also a Poker Hall of Famer. Seidel continues not only to be active, but also to thrive in poker tournaments of all buy-in levels. To point, over two-thirds of his career tournament winnings have AFTER he was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame! A force to be reckoned with Erik continues to play in all the big High Roller events around the world and remains a threat to climb the all-time WSOP bracelet leaderboard as well.

Erik continues to pad his numbers and add to his career totals with millions in cashes over the last couple years.

The great @DanielColman_& a slow moving dinosaur chase @RealKidPoker

https://t.co/UCgti00fPJ

— Erik Seidel (@Erik_Seidel) February 20, 2017

The Rest of the Best

After scrolling through this list of the top five poker players on the all-time money list, you might be shaking your head in amazement that legends like Phil Ivey, Antonio Esfandiari, and Phil Hellmuth (who sits atop the career WSOP bracelet list) didn’t make the cut. Well, to be fair, both Phils and the Magician ARE still in the top 25. How to explain it though?

Simple: with the proliferation of High Roller events all around the world over the last few years, cashing for six- and seven-figure scores has become increasingly common. Guys like Hellmuth, Ivey, and John Juanda earned their stripes and built their career tournament winnings stats playing in events with FAR lower buy-ins, usually a maximum of $10,000; plus, there weren’t nearly as many such high buy-in events running in any given year. These days, yearly wins of $2-3 million are relatively common among those who play the High Roller circuit; a far “easier” achievement when some events cost $25K, $50K, $100K (and more!) just to enter, and they run throughout the year…

Lastly, let’s not forget that “amount won” does NOT take into account amounts bought in for, chops, staking agreements, and the like. We’ll likely never know the true amounts of PROFIT that poker players will have earned over their careers, but nonetheless it’s fun to talk about and enjoy all-time money lists like these.