Professional Poker: The Highest Level In The Game
Poker is one of the most popular and exciting games being played in the world today. In recent years poker has seen a tremendous boost in people playing the game, partly thanks to the great publicity it gets on new television shows as well as the rise of online internet poker where people can win real money online from the comfort of their own home. But whilst most people just dabble in poker for a little bit of fun, there are people in the world that are poker professionals and many are earning in the millions! This article will look at some of the most successful and famous poker professionals on the poker circuit today.
Alan Goehring is one of the key poker professionals. Unlike many of the other professional poker players, he’s not in it for the cash. He is a retired junk bond analyst with plenty of cash in the bank, but still manages to rake in the big bucks at the casino. Over several years Goehring has played in numerous world poker championships, but his big win came in 2003 when he entered the World Poker Tour Championship at Bellagio in Las Vegas and left with over $1 million in prize money. Not bad for a night’s work! In 2006 he beat that and left the LA Poker Classic with a whopping $2.4 million in prize money. So far he has earned over $5 million from being a poker professional, and is ranked the 12th highest earning poker professional ever.
Another key poker professional is Amarillo Slim who grew up in Arkansas. He has been on the poker scene for several decades, but made a name for himself when he won the 1972 World Series of Poker Main Event. He is quite a character and has appeared on numerous talk shows such as Good Morning America and The Tonight Show. He has won millions of dollars in his poker career, and is seen as one of the key people poker professionals that helped shape the modern popularity of the game today.
In a game that is mostly made of up men, poker professional Annie Duke is a welcome addition to the scene. As well as being the best female poker players in the world, she is also up there with her male peers. She was born into a very competitive family where they regularly played card games at home. Her brother Howard Lederer is also a star poker professional. In her first ever WSOP tournament she left with over $70,000 in winnings which secured her future as a key poker professional. She is so good that Ben Affleck has hired her as his personal poker tutor.
Chip Jett is another well respected poker professional. In 2003 he was the 12th highest earning poker professional in the world. He became a familiar face on many of the television-broadcasted poker tournaments including Party Poker Millions II, the Bellagio Five-Diamond World Classic, and the Legends of Poker Main Event. His wife Karina Jett is also a professional poker player. He won numerous tournaments over the years including a win of $214,000 at the California State Poker Championship main event.
One of the most recognized poker professionals in the world today is Chris Moneymaker. He is a celebrity poker player and known around the world. He used to be an accountant. His poker career started on the website pokerstars.com when he put in a $39 bet which he managed to turn into a two and a half million dollar win. He continues to win games all around the world, and Moneymaker really is he real name - it was clearly meant to be!
One of the top female poker professionals in the world today is Cyndy Violette. In the 1980’s she won $74,000 in a poker tournament which at the time was the largest amount ever won by a woman in a poker event. She continually wins poker events across the world, and is ranked the 7th most successful female poker players in the world today, with a total winning amount of $640,000.
The last poker professional we shall look at in today’s article is “Action” Dan Harrington. He is considered to be one of the most consistent and solid players on the poker circuit today. He first entered the World Series of Poker in 1987 as an unknown, and surprised every one by finishing sixth. In 2003 and 2004 he took home over $2 million in prize money from the WSOP. As well as being a poker professional he still continues his day job as a bankruptcy attorney.
As you can see, poker can be a lucrative business for those who play it well!
