Poker is not just a game of skill and strategy, but also the ability to take highly premeditated risks. The most successful poker players can remain calm and composed even when everything is against them. They have a brilliant capability to recognise how and when a specific game move is needed to crush an opponent. Besides, poker players, either professionals or beginners, have an opportunity to win handsomely, and the same applies to losing.
Players who have mastered their skills and tactics and want to make huge amounts of money out of poker can either choose to go all in online or win the World Series of Poker. People who have an interest in the game and play online poker come from all walks of life and they include actors, wealthy professionals and bankers. This article will focus on the top 25 richest poker players all around the world in descending order. They have made a kill from the game and are in the ranks of the most attractive net worth values around the globe.
1. Dan Bilzerian – estimated net worth of $150 million
This 32-year-old poker sensation tops the list with an estimated net worth of $150 million. Dan Bilzerian is a legend in the world of poker and is quite famous for playing high stake games. He is so good in poker that he once banged an entire 10 million at a table in one night. Although he has earned a lot of money through winning poker, part of his net wealth is attributed to his investments from other sectors.
Dan is a former US Navy trainee and is currently a venture capitalist by profession and an outstanding poker player by passion. He also has a wealthy family background as his father, Paul Bilzerian, had started a trust fund for him from an early age. This has also added value to his net worth.
Dan Bilzerian stands out from other players because of his flashy lifestyle. He has a huge fan base on social media and has severely broken the internet with his extremely lavish lifestyle. Other than a little extravagance, Dan is an excellent poker player whose name will always remain part of the game’s history. His skills and personality set him apart. He has goals for upcoming players who have the work hard play hard view of life.
2. Phil Ivey – net worth of $100 million
Phil Ivey is nicknamed the Tiger Woods of poker because of his prowess in the game. He is also in the top list of the leading poker winners in the history of the game. Phil has participated in 319,285 hands and has won almost all of them. In his teenage years, his passion for gaming was so intense that he faked several IDs to get into casinos. He was thus given the name ‘No Home Jerome’. Phil’s love for poker has yielded several success stories, among them holding the 5th position in the list of professional poker players with utmost winnings in tournaments. He is the 2nd richest poker player with a net worth of $100 million.
Phil Ivey learned to play poker from his earlier years of life and had his grandfather show him how to play the five-card stud poker. He has constantly proven that he is a genius and deserves a seat among the matriarchs of poker.
Phil has managed to get ten different World Series of Poker bracelets, and the World Poker Tour titles. Besides, in 2005 and 2009, he won the title of the Poker Player of the Year. The culmination of his career was when he was inducted into the poker hall of fame in 2017. Phil Ivey is still going on with his career, and his titles and net worth will increase in the future.
3. Sam Farha – net worth stands at $100 million
Sam Farha is nicknamed Mr Cool because he is the calmest and composed poker player and especially in all his televised games. He will be smiling and teasing his opponent even when it is obvious he is about to make a significant loss. This quality is very rare among poker players.
Sam settled in America after fleeing the Lebanese civil war, and he started playing poker at a young age. He has a business degree that he got from the University of Kansas. He is known for getting most of his winnings from high stakes, and his net worth stands at $100 million. The World Series of Poker in 2003 brought him to the spotlight after he clinched the second position. He lost the final hand against Chris Moneymaker in this series, but it was a small blow as he had already made about 2.5 million dollars in the tournament. Up to date, Sam Farha has three WSOP bracelets and has won so many other poker games.
Besides playing poker, Sam is also an author of a book called Omaha poker strategy guide. In this book, he shares some excellent poker tips and his personal experiences with the game that has significantly impacted his life. He is also a representative of Harrah’s Las Vegas casino and has rich experience with the poker show known as the network’s high stakes poker. Sam Farha has been in the poker scene for over two decades and has unmatched experience.
4. Chris Ferguson – net worth of $80 million
Other poker players call Chris Ferguson Jesus because of his long hair and beard. He always has this shabby appearance which is part of his strategy trademark. Chris has a PhD in computer science and is exceptionally analytical. He is one of the players who have experienced the best and the worst side of poker gaming. He has remained consistent despite everything and has a net worth of $80 million.
Ferguson’s parents were both mathematicians, and he was exposed to numbers from a very young age. Poker was always going to be an excellent option for him because of his background with numbers and the ability to take well-calculated risks. His career has been very successful with six World Series of Poker bracelets to show for it. Chris Ferguson is a big player of the Omaha and Hi-Lo poker variations, and his 2001 WSOP win was from Omaha Hi-lo Split 8 or Better.
Chris has a rich experience in poker and is an integral part of poker history. At some point in his career, he retired and left the poker scene for some time, but he later came back. His journey has not always been smooth, but he has managed to win many tournaments and poker games since his comeback.
5. Doyle Brunson – net worth is at $75 million
Doyle Brunson will always be the unquestionable grandfather of pro poker because of his deep experience and longevity in the game. This poker legend spent his younger years as a Texas Road Gambler with his two friends, Sailor Roberts and Amarillo Slim. They went on to make Texas Hold’em the most popular game in Las Vegas and that is how Doyle Brunson earned the Texas Dolly nickname.
Doyle has participated in every single World Series poker tournament since their commencement in 1970. He is unarguably among the most powerful poker players of all time. His net worth is at $75 million and that makes him one the richest poker players. He has ten WSOP bracelets to show for his extensive and successful poker career. Besides, he was inaugurated to the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988 and had several pro poker hands named after him.
Doyle Brunson decided to pass his rich poker knowledge to other generations of poker through his book known as the Super/System book on poker. After playing for about half a century, Doyle retired to a standing ovation during the 2018 World Series of Poker tournament. He is in his early 80s, and the long hours needed to sit at the table were becoming unmanageable for him.
6. Daniel Negreanu – net worth of $50 million
Daniel Negreanu is nicknamed kid poker as a result of his capability and accomplishments at a very young age. He began his professional poker journey at the tender age of 21 and has accumulated a net worth of $50 million from all the tournaments he has played. Besides, he has a very friendly and charming personality and enjoys conversing with people whether they are listening or not.
Daniel Negreanu holds the title of the biggest live tournament poker winner of all time. Besides, he has been crowned World Series of Poker player of the year twice, which is a rare achievement. Negreanu also has won six WSOP bracelets and two World Poker tour events. His sharp poker skills make him a worthy competitor at the table.
Apart from playing poker, Daniel Negreanu has put down all his poker knowledge and skills in a book that he wrote himself called Poker Systems. It is a best-seller and a must-read for players who want to understand poker in-depth and how to make good money out of it. He has also graced several poker shows and has been cast in the blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
7. Justin Bonomo – net worth stands at $45 million
Justin Bonomo used to play Magic the Gathering card game before he joined the poker world. The skills he learned from playing MTG impacted his performance on poker because he has been thriving since his first poker games. He is good looking and presents himself elegantly, but that should not blind you. Justin is a calculating machine! Every move he makes is well analysed and premeditated, and the way he explains his moves will leave you wowed by his thinking.
The European Poker tour of 2005 was his main breakthrough to the limelight as he came in the 4th position. He entered the list of the youngest poker player to ever play at a televised final table. In 2018, he also got the spotlight after getting three 1st positions, inclusive of the World Series Poker NL Hold’em bracelet that won him a whooping$1 million. Justin Bonomo has earned himself a total of three WSOP bracelets so far in his brilliant poker career. His net worth stands at $45 million, making him a worthy addition to the top wealthiest poker players list.
8. Erik Seidel – net worth of $41 million
Before he began his full-time poker career, Eric Seidel was a Wall Street trader in Manhattan. He has managed to earn himself a net worth of $41 million in his poker profession, although part of this figure is from his investments in the stock market. This Las Vegas born poker player has a total of eight World Series poker tournament bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.
Erik is called the silent assassin by his opponents because of his calm and composed character at the tables. In 1988, he was defeated in his first WSOP tournament by Johnny Chan, a scene that is featured in the famous poker movie called Rounders. Eric Seidel picked himself up after the loss and is still making major poker moves that have continually earned him a place in the history of great poker players.
9. Fedor Holz – managed to make over $32 million from live tournaments
Fedor Holz is a young German poker wizard who is among the richest poker players in the world. He holds a good position in the All-Time Money List, and he indeed has a powerful presence in the poker scene. He is one of the youngest and most successful poker players of all time. Just at a young age of 25 years, Fedor has managed to make over $32 million from live tournaments.
Sometime back, reports said that Fedor had decided to retire, but he later clarified that he was only partially retiring to focus on his other life aspirations. At the time of his speculated retirement, he had just begun getting attention for his excellent poker skills. Fedor had also made huge winnings at the WSOP in 2018, where he won the most significant amount of money for the High Roller for One Drop game. He also took 2nd place in the tournament with a huge winning of $6 million.
Even though he is partially retired, Fedor Holz still takes part in tournaments all around the world. His net worth is also increasing, and so are his poker skills. He also started a poker coaching site to pass his wisdom in poker to all the upcoming poker players who look up to him.
10. Patrick Antonius – net worth of $30 million
Patrick Antonius is a skilled, talented and brilliant young poker player. He has a net worth of $30 million, all which he has accumulated through online poker tournaments. The fact that Patrick does not have a single World Series poker title and he still makes it to the top poker players talks a lot about his diligence and talent.
Patrick Antonius comes from Finland, and he landed on the poker scene after sustaining an injury from his professional tennis practice. He has an interest in all the areas of the game and has been featured in several poker TV shows. Antonius has a great passion for poker, and he always participates in numerous high stake cash games, whether online or live. These games have contributed a lot to the bulk of his profits and net worth.
Antonius is the real-life goals of a perfect poker face. His stare is confident, and he doesn’t talk much. Even though Patrick has not won any top title yet, he remains consistent and has clinched the 2nd position in three Aussie Millions NL Hold’em games. His decision to join the poker industry from tennis was wise as he has made money and a name for himself in the poker world.
11. Antonio Esfandiari – net worth of over $27 million
He is also known as the magician, not only because of his unmatched poker skills but because he was a real-life magician. He got into playing poker through a casual invite to a poker table when he was in the middle of performing magic. He was always meant to be an excellent poker player as his career grew overnight.
He kept winning title after title, with some, just months apart. Antonio secured his first World Poker Tour title in 2004 and won a considerable amount of $1.4 million. Just a few months later, he gained a bracelet for winning the World Series of Poker. Antonio’s winning consistency was insane, and it caught the attention of so many poker players. The following year, Estandiari went up to the final table in two more tournaments. He came in third place for both the Heads-up Poker Championship and the Five-Star World Poker Tour, which were only a month apart. These three huge wins in one year were just pure magic!
Antonio is among the few professional poker players who game carefully and understand the importance of limits. He is excellent at financial management and is a great supporter of responsible gaming among young and rich poker players. However, he is not too strict on himself. He rewards himself when necessary and throws lavish parties for his friends. Who would not indulge a little with a net worth of over $27 million? Certainly, Antonio Esfandiari would.
12. Jennifer Tilly – net worth of $25 million
Jennifer Tilly is a poker legend for just being the first woman to feature in the list of top 25 richest poker players with a net worth of $25 million. Besides playing poker, she is also an actress and a voice actress. Jennifer grew up with a dad who gambled regularly, and she understood poker from an early age.
In her poker career, she has earned a title of the World Series of Poker Ladies event and has a bracelet to show for it. Jennifer has gone on to receive a number of attractive cash-ins and chances at final tables. A remarkable moment in her entire poker career was when she earned 1st place in the 2010 Bellagio cup.
Tilly announced that she was retiring in 2008. She came back in 2010, and up to now, she has participated in tournaments that have positively affected her net worth. Jennifer Tilly is entirely consistent, and she says she will keep playing for as long as she can.
13. John Juanda – estimated net worth of $24 million
John Juanda is among the most affluent poker players with an estimated net worth of $24 million. He landed on the poker industry most unexpectedly. Juanda was born in Indonesia to a father who had gambling problems. His family and friends discouraged him against gambling because they feared he would take after his father. His young self would not hear any of them, and he began gambling on trivial games that later transitioned to card games.
In 1990, John Juanda left his home to study at Oklahoma State University, and it was in the course of the flight that he first encountered poker. In college, he spent most of his time playing and perfecting his poker skills. By the time he graduated from the University of Seattle with an M.B.A, he was a fully-fledged professional poker player. He has never looked back up to date.
John has managed to secure five World Series of Poker bracelets and huge winnings that have contributed to his net worth. Before he committed fully to poker, he also tried out businesses, politics and sports, which also gave his net worth a boost.
14. Brian Rast – $22 million net worth
Brian Rast was born in Denver, Colorado, but his family relocated to California when he was young. His love for poker developed during his high school days, where he learned the basics of the game. His academic records were always impressive, and he was the class valedictorian in high school before he proceeded to Stanford University. Brian Rast enjoys playing high stake poker games that have immensely contributed to his $22 million net worth.
Since the beginning of his career, Brian Rast has topped the World Series of Poker four times, and he has four bracelets as evidence. He came to the spotlight in 2015 when he triumphed in the inaugural Super High Roller Bowl on Poker Central with a $500,000 buy-in tournament for $7.5 million. Brian Rast has made it to ten final tables and completed in the money positions for 33 times.
15. Phil Laak – net worth of $20 million
Phil Laak is an American professional player formerly from Irish. His family moved to the United States when he was a young boy. His net worth of $20 million has earned him a position among the richest poker players in the world. In the course of his career, Phil has won a World Series of Poker bracelet and a title in the World Poker Tour event. He is also in the history books of poker for playing poker for the most time in a single session.
Phil Laak has a lot of experience in the poker game and offers consultation to players who need guidance. He also has a book, specifically written to equip growing players with the best poker strategies and tips for a successful career. Phil has appeared in several high-end poker shows like the High Stakes Poker show, Poker After Dark and the classic NBC poker show. His dress code has become his trademark over time. He always wears sunglasses and a hoodie with the hood always up.
16. Phil Hellmuth – net worth of about $20 million
Phil Hellmuth is a poker wizard who started his career at a young age. He has had a series of poker winnings that have earned him a net worth of about $20 million. Phil made his first-ever appearance on the poker field in the 1988 World Series of Poker Seven Card Stud Split game that earned him $1,500. This win paved the way for his numerous other winnings that have gone on for more than three decades.
Phil Hellmuth has won so many WSOP bracelets that everyone has lost count, and that is how good he is at poker. In 1989, he won his first bracelet at the World Series NL Hold’em. This victory made Phil the youngest poker player to ever win a bracelet at the World Series of Poker. Another unique win on Phil Hellmuth’s poker portfolio was his first position in the 2005 National Heads-up Poker that gave him a 100% profit.
Phil Hellmuth’s poker career is full of highlights, and he has one of the smoothest and most successful poker journeys. Hellmuth has 108 total placements in the World Series of Poker cash games and has finished in 52 World Series of poker tables, both of which are the highest records in poker history.
17. Joe Hachem – managed to earn about $16 million
Joe Hachem got his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005, being the first Australian ever to win the title. He has managed to earn about $16 million from his numerous poker tournament winnings. Hachem was once a representative of the Poker Stars, a sponsorship that made huge amounts of money.
Joe Hachem used to be a chiropractor in Australia for over a decade until a disease that affected his hands forced him to quit. Luckily, Joe could still hold his cards and has continued to give his best in every poker game that he has played.
18. Jennifer Harman – net worth of $15 million
Jennifer Harman is the second lady in this top 25 richest poker players list with a net worth of $15 million. Jennifer Harman prefers private games to tournaments because she is capable of winning more in a single sitting. Jennifer grew up in Vegas and was exposed to poker from an early age. She started playing in casinos way before she attained the legal age, and this gave her the basic experiences of gaming.
Jennifer Harman’s poker accomplishments began in 1998 at the Orleans Open where she managed to triumph in her first Limit Hold’em game for over $30,000. Two years later, she managed to earn her first World Series of Poker bracelet and was the only female winner for about ten years. Before her first WSOP tournament, she had no idea how the game was played and had a short 5 minutes tutorial from a friend. She won the tournament, and that was pure luck on her side. However, she worked hard and perfected her skills and two years later she earned her second WSOP bracelet. She is still pursuing her poker career and equally adding more value to her net wealth.
19. Gus Hansen – net worth of $11.5 million
Gus Hansen is a common name in the poker circles because of the titles and rewards attached to it. Gus, a Denmark native, is an excellent poker player whose net worth of $11.5 million has won him a place among the wealthiest poker players. The history books of poker state that he is the first player to lead in the World Poker Tour Open Tournaments at three separate times.
Gus Hansen took the lead in the 1st edition of the World Poker Tour Bad Boys of Poker tournament. His name has also featured in the World Poker Tour Walk of Fame for being one of the big-time players. Hansen has one bracelet for the WSOP tournament he won.
Gus is famous for his gambling abilities and readiness to gamble on just anything. As such, he is familiar with both huge wins and losses. Hansen invests huge amounts of money in high stakes games, whether online or in live tournaments. He is one of the biggest risk-takers in the poker world.
20. Scotty Nguyen – $11 million from active poker gaming
Scotty Nguyen, nicknamed the Prince of Poker, is famous for his wild mannerisms just like many other poker players. He was born in Vietnam and moved to the United States at the age of 14. Playing poker illegally at school got him into trouble and he was expelled. This opened other opportunities for him and he chose to focus entirely on poker. He has made about $11 million from active poker gaming and is among the richest poker players in the globe.
Nguyen used to play small casino games then later he chose larger tournaments in Las Vegas and California. He has made some losses and battled drug addiction at some point in his life, but he has also made huge winnings. He holds five World Series Poker bracelets. In poker history, he is the only professional player who has taken the lead in a Main Event and the $50,000 Championship event.
21. Doug Polk – net worth of $10 million
Doug Polk is part of the 25 richest poker players with a net worth of $10 million. He refers to himself as a free thinker and has always been involved in tactical games since he was a young boy. Before poker, Doug loved to play video games and chess, but the money here is not as huge as in poker.
After making poker his full-time pursuit, Doug Polk has grabbed three WSOP bracelets for himself. Besides, he beat a robot in a popular Texas Hold ’em match that brought him a considerable number of fans. He has taken part in several live tournaments that have given him huge amounts of money. Doug also occasionally participates in online tournaments.
Polk is still young, and his consistency and passion for poker have put him way ahead of other older professional players. Despite his flourishing career, Doug Polk has severally mentioned retiring from the game, and most of his fans hope he does not actualise his words. If he decides to leave the scene, his name will still be recognised and celebrated in the poker gaming industry.
22. Tom Dawn – net worth of $10 million
The calm and talented Tom Dawn makes it to the rank of the most affluent poker players. He has a net worth of $10 million. His colleagues call him Durrr which is his username on the Full Tilt Poker site where he has earned about $300,000.Tom dropped out of college to play on the felt tables, where he has encountered some of the best poker professionals. He has won so many cash prizes and has great wins like the 2014 Aussie Millions.
Tom views his bank balance as an avenue to win more money, and he is not afraid of risking a good amount of money as long as he is sure he can win it back with a huge profit. He has made a sizable amount of money from live poker tournaments. He is in the poker history for his incredibly high stakes in games like No Limit Texas Hold’Em Omaha.
His risk-oriented nature cost him $2 million in 2007 at the felt table, but he still boosts his games from his bank balance. Apart from his outstanding poker skills, Tom Dwan is famous for his poker face. He does not flinch and has a confident aura all through the game. He will not display any emotion whether he is about to win several millions or make the biggest loss in his entire career. He remains calm and calculative even when it is obvious he should give a reaction.
23. Sam Trickett – net worth of $9.4 million
Sam Trickett is the only poker player from England who has made it to this list of the top 25 richest poker players. He has a net worth of $9.4 million, and he has not yet won a WSOP bracelet. He has built his wealth from scratch by performing excellently in every poker game he plays since he joined in 2005.
Trickett was a soccer player before a severe injury cut his career short. Choosing to walk the poker path was one of the best decisions that he made, and he is one of the most successful poker players in England. Sam is very present in the game, and with his determination he will get to the top of the poker chain with time.
24. Jason Mercier – $8 million net worth
Jason takes the 24th position in our rank of top 25 wealthiest players. He is a commendable player who has managed to make himself $8 million from totally nothing in a decade. He entered the poker scene in 2007 as a professional player and has worked so hard to make a name for himself.
His grand entrance to the gaming space earned him a space among the sixteen professional poker players who attained the Supernova elite status. He has made it to several lists of top players in the world as a result of his talent and skills. Mercier‘s hard work is inspiring, and he continues to aim for the World Series of Poker championship among other great titles. His persistence and love for soccer will get him there.
25. Vanessa Rousso – $6 million net worth
Vanessa Rousso closes our top 25 wealthiest poker players list with her $6 million net worth to prove why she deserves to be here. She is among the few women that have made a commendable impact on the poker scene. Besides being a professional poker player, she is a DJ and a TV personality.
She came to the limelight in 2006 when she almost entered the final table at the World Poker Tour Championships. She kept growing her career, and in the same year, she came in 1st position at the No-Limit Hold’em at the World Poker Tour tournament. Three years later she led at the European High Roller tournament. These two victories brought her a multimillion-dollar partnership with PokerStars.
Vanessa Rousso announced her retirement after a few years of staying dormant. She may be away from the scene, but the legacy and fan base she left behind speaks of how excellent she is at poker. Most of the poker players who retire come back later after some time and Vannesa might return bigger and better soon. Let us wait and see.
Conclusions about the top 25 richest poker players in the world
The top 25 poker players discussed here have managed to create a legacy for themselves. They are all legends in the poker world, and the history of the game cannot be told without their names being mentioned. Several top poker players have given their best all through their active years and have decided to step aside and pave the way for others. However, those still on the scene have so much contribution to make in the poker world, and we are here to witness it all. Besides, there are so many upcoming poker players who look up to these legends and will soon take the industry by storm. If you are looking how to start your poker carrier, we suggest that you start by checking out our list of the best no deposit poker bonuses available online.
Emerging the top and most affluent poker player is not just a matter of luck. It takes patience, the perfection of skill, calculated risk-taking, perseverance and practise. Well, a perfect poker face is an asset too!