Every poker player who has ever sat at the table dreams of winning big and getting to the top of their game. Although few reach the very top, those who do become household names across the world. Here are five poker celebrities who you should know about.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey has won an impressive ten World Series of Poker bracelets and has a net worth of $100 million. The American professional has appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables and is considered to be one of the very best poker all-rounders in the world. The 42-year-old has earned the names “No Home Jerome,” “The Phenom,” and “The Tiger Woods of Poker’, and is famous for throwing opponents off by staring directly into their eyes.
Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988 and is considered a poker legend. The retired player took part in professional games for 50 years before retiring in 2018, when he received a standing ovation at his final World Series. Brunson is the author of several books on poker and even has poker hands named after him. Lucian Marinescu, partner at Online Casino Gems, said: “Brunson is a true poker legend and the whole community was sad to see him leave the game in 2018. It will be very hard for anyone to earn as many bragging rights as this seasoned veteran in the future”.
Vanessa Selbst
How could we not include Vanessa Selbst in this list? The now-retired professional player claimed three World Series of Poker bracelets, the Partouche Poker Tour and the North American Poker Tour over 12 years, and has a net worth of over $3.5 million. Selbst is also the only woman to ever reach the number one ranking in the world on the Global Poker Index. She is undoubtedly one of the biggest female names in poker and will be hard to top following her retirement in January 2018.
Erik Seidel
Seidel, a former Wall Street trader, has won over $5.5 million in poker tournaments and was born in the land of casinos – Las Vegas. One of the player’s largest claims to fame came from his very first major tournament where he found himself up against Johnny Chan in the World Series of Poker Main Event Championship. The hand he lost was became so famous that it was featured in the movie Rounders. With poker in his blood, Seidel has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title. The card shark has a current net worth of $41.9 million and shows no sign of slowing down.
Joe Hachem
Hachem became a household name back in 2005 when he became the first Australian to win the World Series of Poker. The following year, Hachem won his first World Poker Tour title at the Bellagio Casino’s Five Diamonds Poker Classic, earning him $2.2 million. Over his career, Hachem has won over $8.5 million at tournaments and was even sponsored by PokerStars. His most recent big win was $201,041 at the 2019 World Series of Poker, where he placed third. Hachem continues to enjoy poker games across the world.
