Biggest Poker Wins

The World Series of Poker is indisputably the world’s premier poker organisation. There are thousands of players competing, creating massive prize pools. The organisation runs tournaments for professionals. Getting there is a bit more complicated – you need to meet strict requirements and make a minimum of €1 million in the initial capital. The winnings in such tournaments are tens of times greater than the prize money for regular players. The top 10 winners are described below.

№ 10 Ryan Reece (€8.3 million)

In 2013, unbeknownst to the general public, Ryan Reece made it to the WSOP final where he came away with €8.3 million. The American was not expecting such an achievement and was thrilled to be interviewed by the press. Winning the tournament turned Reece’s life upside down. Previously, he had been spending small poker winnings on entertainment. He invested this amount in shares in Apple, Disney and Facebook. The decision has provided him with a comfortable old age.

№ 9 Greg Merson (€8.5m)

The 25-year-old American beat everyone at the WSOP in February 2012 for €8.5 million. Along the way Greg Merson was able to overcome alcohol and drug addictions. He spent his winnings on a statutory fund in the Baltimore poker series, the needs of his family and loved ones. The winner only allocated €500 to himself to buy new clothes.

№ 8 Joe Cada (€8.5 million)

At the time of winning, American Joe Cada was only 21 years old. The road to success was one of the thorniest. Joe started playing cards at 16, a job his mother used to do as a casino croupier. After learning poker strategies, Kada was faced with a lack of money for entry fees. Investors raised the necessary amount. After paying back the debts, less than half of the 8.5 million euros in prize money remained.

№ 7 Pius Heinz (€8.7 million)

In 2011, 22-year-old German Pius Heinz won the big WSOP event. He was not well known in the poker world as he preferred the online venues. The prize did not change the young man’s life. He still prefers to spend his time online in smaller competitions.

№ 6 Jonathan Duhamel (€8.9 million)

Professional poker player Jonathan Duhamel won almost €9 million in a tournament in 2011. Besides gambling, the 22-year-old Canadian was passionate about hockey. If a game of his favourite Montreal team was on TV, he would quit and cheer until the last second. Not surprisingly, Duhamel donated 100,000 euros of the prize money to the Montreal Foundation.

№ 5 Peter Eastgate (€9.2m)

The Dane defeated seven opponents on his way to the prize. In the final, he defeated the multiple champion Demidov. The match lasted for 4 hours. At the decisive moment, Eastgate didn’t waver and took more than 9 million euros.

№ 4 Martin Jakobson (10 million €)

The Swede dreamed of becoming a chef, but fate had a surprise in store for him. He managed to win €10 million in a poker tournament in 2014. Jacobson has won several such tournaments during his professional career. Martin’s winnings have amounted to more than €14 million.

№ 3 Jamie Gold (€12 million)

The massive tournament was won by the American in 2006. He managed to get the better of 8,500 players. After the competition, there were suspicions of cheating: during a few dozen hands Gold got the right card. There was also a scandal after the prize money had been received. The investors had claimed their interest. To avoid litigation, Jamie Gold signed a settlement agreement.

№ 2 Daniel Coleman (€15.3m)

In the 3-day WSOP event, American Coleman was luckier. In the final, he beat Daniel Negreanu. Remarkably, the triumpher showed no emotion when handing out the prize money, noting that poker is a brutal game.

№ 1 Antonio Esfandiari (€18.3m)

The American won a record prize in 2012. The achievement is still held to this day. Antonio’s skills as a magician, which he used to work before his gambling hobby, helped him win the tournament. He was considered one of the outsiders before the start of the competition. Whether magic or luck favoured Antonio is unknown.

Poker is not just a game of chance; it is a serious sport that requires special knowledge, skills and personality. Long work at it, coupled with luck, can lead to multi-million pound winnings.