Online poker is one of those games that attracts the best players in casinos. It is a skill-based game in which players fight each other rather than the house. Poker tournaments also offer rewards of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In short, the game is a magnet for experienced and wealthy casino players.
So who are these rich players who make living playing poker? To satisfy your curiosity, here’s a list of the richest poker players in 2022 and their net worth. But always remember that these players don’t necessarily get rich playing poker. They play for fun.
Dan Bilzerian – $200 million
Dan Bilzerian is an American actor, venture capitalist, and, of course, poker player. This man has a huge number of social media followers with 30 million followers on Instagram. Dan’s professional poker career began in 2009 when he was only 29 years old. He took part in the 2009 World Series of Poker main event, finishing in 108th place with over $36,000 in prize money. But Dan also won more than $12 million in one tournament. After that win, he immediately rented a plane to celebrate in Mexico.
Phil Ivey – $100 million
Phil Ivey, nicknamed “Tiger Woods of Poker,” is a titled American professional poker player with a fortune of $100 million. He is an eight-time winner of the competitive World Series of Poker. This serious poker player has also won the prestigious World Poker Tour. To date, Phil has earned over $19.5 million in live poker tournaments. He also finished seventh and won $12,538 at the European Poker Masters.
Sammy Farha – $100 Million
Sammy Farha is a $100 million professional poker player from Lebanon. Born in 1959, Farha quit his job in 1990 to pursue a career in professional poker. He has participated many times in the World Series of Poker, winning $1.3 million in 2003, and finishing second. He also has three Omaha bracelets. As of 2010, Farha had more than $3 million in live poker tournament earnings. Because of his poker prowess, he has several nicknames, including “Mr. Kool.”
Chris Ferguson – $80 million
Chris Ferguson, born in 1963, is an American film producer and professional poker player. Ferguson currently boasts five WSOP bracelets and more than 60 cash. He is the only poker player to have won three WSOP rounds. But his career has been accompanied by controversy. Tilt Poker, the online poker company of which he was a director, was accused of cheating to get money from players. The U.S. Department of Justice argued that the company was more of a Ponzi scheme.
Doyle Brunson – $75 million
Doyle Brunson is considered by many to be the American “godfather” of poker. Mr. Doyle, now retired, has more than 50 years of poker experience. As a result, he is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, the 88-year-old player is the winner of 10 WSOP tournaments and a two-time WSOP Main Event champion. That’s not all. Brunson became the first poker player to win $1 million in a live event. He retired in the summer of 2018 after finishing sixth at the 2018 WSOP, earning $46,963.
Daniel Negreanu – $60 million
Daniel Negreanu, born in 1974, is a famous Canadian actor, writer, and professional poker player. Daniel discovered his love for gambling when he was still a teenager. He used to hang around pool halls where he bet on sports and playing poker. In 1997, he was named best poker player at the World Poker Final, winning $55,064. A year later, he played his first WSOP event, winning $164,460 in a $2,000 competitive limit hold’em. Negreanu has six WSOP bracelets and two World Poker Tour championships.
Bryn Kennedy – $56 million
Bryn Kennedy is one of the most titled professional poker players. As of last September, this player had a fortune of $56 million. He is one of those few players who made most of their fortune playing poker. As a young man, he was passionate about poker and competed in the East Coast Poker Championships at the age of 21. In July 2014, he won his first WSOP bracelet, winning $153,000 in the process. In 2016, he played Joe McKeehan, winner of the 2015 Main Event. Kennedy defeated the champion, earning more than $1.6 million.
Eric Seidel – $41.9 million
Born in New York City in 1959, Eric Seidel is a professional poker player with a fortune of about $41.9 million. Interestingly, he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in backgammon and low-limit poker. Eric has now won nine WSOP bracelets and one World Poker Tour championship. He was also inducted into the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame in 2010.
Other notable names
- Jennifer Tilly – $30 million
- Phil Helmut – $26 million
- Dan Smith – $36.7 million
- David Peters – $33.7 million
- Jason Kuhn – $31.7 million
- Antonio Esfandiari – $25 million
- Tom Dwan – $10 million