Poker is a card game that has always drawn skilled players, obscure lore, and incomprehensibly vast sums of money. Therefore, the fact that some of the wealthiest people in the world have made a significant portion of their fortunes, or even their entire fortunes, at the tables is not surprising at all. Card pushers that are skillful, courageous, and fascinating may be found in any region of the world; yet, only a select handful can lay claim to the distinguished title of being the richest Poker players on the entire planet.
The following illustrious players are those who, with the aid of a deck of cards and a shrewd understanding of how to gamble, have maneuvered their way to the pinnacle of this unfathomable grandeur.
#1: Dan Bilzerian – $150m
Although Dan Bilzerian is rumored to be the most valuable poker player in the world (as well as the unofficial King of Instagram), relatively little is known about his background at this time. Gambling aficionados and professionals have only been able to piece together portions of this card gaming mystery through his bizarre Instagram posts and the occasional clip from his interviews. However, technically speaking, there are very few definite details that can be found regarding the man behind the Poker face.
However, despite the fact that we do not know how long he served in the Navy or how much money he is currently worth, it is estimated that he is worth an astounding $150 million. One thing about Bilzerian that we do know for sure is that he is incredibly talented at his art, which has made him one of the richest Poker players in the history of the human race.
#2: Phil Ivey, who won $100 million.
Phil Ivey is still one of the wealthiest and most iconic players in the industry, despite the recent edge-sorting issue that garnered a lot of negative news to his name. Both his brilliance and his tendency to break the rules, which led to him being given the nick moniker “No Home Jerome,” were apparent from an early age on in his life. Ivey is the only player to have won at least ten bracelets at the World Series of Poker and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017.
#3: Chris Ferguson – $80m
Chris Ferguson is a man who possesses a wide range of skills. In addition to being able to cut fruit with playing cards and possessing a doctorate in computer science, the player has won six bracelets at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and has amassed an amazing $80 million in wealth. It doesn’t get much quirkier than this one, either: nick-named “Jesus,” cowboy-hat-wearing Ferguson moved directly into the world of professional gaming after spending a decade receiving his degree from UCLA. He is now one of the wealthiest and most eccentric poker players in the world.
#4: Doyle Brunson – $75m
Brunson is a revered figure in the world of gambling. He began his lengthy career in the state of Texas, where he is from, when he became interested in the activity while attending college. He played for the sake of entertainment for a while, but when he won an amount equal to or greater than one month’s salary in a single game, he began to take his success in the game more seriously. After winning ten World Series of Poker bracelets and writing a book that became a best-seller, his net worth is estimated to be $75 million.
#5: Daniel Negreanu – $50m
Negreanu is a local legend in Canada who is known for his independent spirit. Following the player’s withdrawal from high school, he became involved in the Poker scene and eventually earned enough money to establish a base of operations in Las Vegas. Since then, he has won six bracelets at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), and he has even served as an ambassador for PokerStars. He consistently appears on lists of the finest and the richest poker players in the world.
#6: Justin Bonomo – $40m
The expertise that Justin Bonomo gained playing Magic: The Gathering led to a highly successful and rich career in gambling. This three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner has reached 16 final tables throughout the course of his career. He even managed to exceed Daniel Negreanu’s record for all-time live earnings in 2018, with a large bank account of $43 million.
#7: Erik Seidel – $40m
This card player is not only well regarded all around the world, but also ranks among the most skilled in the industry. In spite of the fact that a sizeable portion of his overall assets was acquired through stock investments, the most majority of it was won at the tables, allowing him to achieve an incredible net worth of more than $40 million.
#8: Fedor Holz – $33m
It should come as no surprise that Holz, a young German genius who has a passion for playing cards, is one of the wealthiest poker players in the world. In the beginning, he played under a pseudonym in online gaming rooms. Later, he moved on to playing in high-stakes tournaments and won his first bracelet when he was in his early 20s.
#9: Patrik Antonius – $32m
Model from Finland Even though Antonius has not yet taken home a bracelet from the World Series of Poker (WSOP), his total earnings of 32 million dollars make him one of the most successful poker players in the world. Patrik competes in tournaments as well as online games, and he is still one of the highest grossing online players in the history of the industry.
#10: Brynn Kenney – $30m
Another Magic: The Gathering player from New York who made the transition to the world of poker, this one was a resident of the Empire State. Up to this point, Kenney has amassed more than $30 million in winnings and one WSOP bracelet, not to mention the adoration of thousands upon thousands of people along the road.
This ranking of the richest poker players in the world is certainly not set in stone in any way. Huge victories are par for the course in this game, but just as likely for many of these players are devastating defeats. Since a single major tournament can award more than one million dollars at a time, anyone who currently makes the list could very well be dethroned at some point in the not-too-distant future. And that is in part what contributes to the overall exhilaration of the game.