When we talk of gambling one could argue that many games are in contention to be the king of gambling. While we will not be giving titles today, we can claim that poker is, almost undoubtedly, a royalty game. It is easy to see why we claim this. For one – it’s fun. The rules are simple. Yet, it doesn’t lack any excitement. People all over the world have been playing this game for so long that it’s hard to remember the times when it wasn’t popular.
Thanks to the financial aspect of this table game, which can also be seen as a sport, modern poker became a shortcut to riches. You’d be surprised to hear how many people have become rich thanks to poker. Many of them became millionaires.
We can’t mention everyone in this short article, thus we’re only going to focus on those who made most of their fortune from poker. This one is for those who managed to draw the royal flush of wealth. Check out the top ten richest poker players in the world and the wealth they have managed to amass and also some of their highlights.
10. Vanessa Selbst ($16 Million)
That’s right; there’s a lady on our list. Poker is a card game without boundaries. There is no discrimination. We could say that when you play poker, fun always wins. While no longer an active player Vanessa took home $11 million just from tournament play. Today, she’s a lawyer practicing social justice. Not as fun as poker, but what’re we supposed to do?
9. Erik Seidel ($20 Million)
As we said, poker can easily be compared to a sport. This is why we have a legendary person representing it in the form of Erik Seidel. A man who you could easily compare to Michael Schumacher as he owns eight bracelets; each for winning a World Series of Poker. When you add the money to the equation things get crystal clear. Erik amassed from this game he stands at $37 million. Some of it went away so he’s not at a healthy $20 million net worth. He would pose a challenge even for massive gambling platforms such as www.britainplay.co.uk if he ever decides to play online.
8. Phil Hellmuth ($20 Million)
Phil has a gambling career that is even more impressive than the one we just spoke of. Hellmuth owns bracelets from the 15 World Series of Poker. Thanks to this, he managed to win more than $24 million in prizes from tours. While there exist those with more accolades and money than him, it is not easy to look at the pyramid of this game and not see Phil Hellmuth there. He’s one of the best who ever sat at a table.
7. Fedor Holz ($23 Million)
You could even argue that this game of cards is a lot like chess. How else would you explain the emergence of a young prodigy Fedor Holz and his unique approach to poker? While quite young he already managed to prize away $33 million prize money from tournaments only. As all young bucks are, Fedor is best recognizable for his aggressive approach to the game. It’s paying off so far.
6. Justin Bonomo ($24 Million)
A well-known name in the extravagant world of poker, Justin truly managed to rise to the top of this game. This legend managed to take home more than $60 million in prize money from tournaments. This puts him high on our list, but not in the top three. As you can see, his net worth is significantly lower, but that can be explained by his continuity in playing and fancy style of life.
5. Bryn Kenney ($25 Million)
Poker is a game for everyone. You can see that we here have experienced foxes and young studs. Kenney is one of the latter. A Westbrook fan from his Oklahoma days this man turned his body and mind towards poker and not basketball. A wise decision. This move helped him make $56 million just by playing poker tournaments. Just like Holz, he is famed for aggressiveness during matches. This stance helped him beat some of the most notable names in the industry. A bragging list and millions to show for it. Bryn has the formula.
4. Antonio Esfandiari ($27 Million)
I am a paid endorser and this isn’t investment advice. With that said, Let’s GO! The future is here. https://t.co/zUOYHFSH72
— Antonio Esfandiari (@MagicAntonio) January 7, 2022
Antonio Esfandiari has a funny story to tell when asked about his career. Before committing himself to poker he was a well-established magician. He combined the two trades as he managed to win more than $27 million in prize money by playing in tournaments. Don’t worry, he didn’t pull cards out of his sleeve. He is just a well-versed person in poker. But, practicing magic did him a favor when playing poker. He is always a fan favorite when playing in tournaments. While this can’t make a difference like in some other sports, it certainly pleases him.
3. Daniel Negreanu ($50 Million)
Six-time World Series of Poker champ. Yes, six bracelets for this name. Daniel Negreanu doesn’t fool around. While carrying his Romanian name, Daniel represents Canada when playing in international tournaments. With a net worth close to 50 million dollars you can see that he’s one of the most decorated poker players of all time. But, he’s not one to keep it all for himself. Negreanu is known as a philanthropist, and his charities contributed millions to fair causes.
2. Phil Ivey ($150 Million)
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With Mr. Ivey, we’re entering the heavy-duty levels. From tournaments, this man managed to collect $30 million. However, thanks to fine investments, and taking good care of his money, he managed to amass a much larger fortune. So, it’s no wonder he’s often compared to the golf legend Tiger Woods. The popularity of their respective sports is immeasurable. Both are legends! When you’re at the table with Phil Ivey no tactic will help. He knows the moves, he recognizes the bluffs, and he’s just waiting for you to slip.
1. Dan Bilzerian ($200 Million)
At the top is the man himself. Dan Bilzerian is a name known far beyond the circles of poker. While primarily a poker player, Dan comes from a rich background. However, what makes him so rich is his status as an influencer. The man is the king of Instagram. Don’t visit his page, you’ll be envious. No one comes close to Mr. Bilzerian. Today he spends time with top models, plays with his guns, acts in movies, and everything in between. Still, he finds time for poker endeavors, why not? After all, Dan once managed to win $10.8 million during one night of gambling.
