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The top 6 biggest poker wins of all time
From its humble roots as a recreational game, poker has become a competitive sport globally among veteran players and high-rollers. Competitive poker is among the highest-stakes games, with millions of dollars in the line and involving some of the most absurd prize pools in any casino game.
Poker tournaments worldwide have gathered an impressive list of poker winners. Learn about the biggest poker wins of all time and what it took these players to rise to the top.
What is competitive poker?
Competitive poker games consist of big tables of professional players competing against each other. The player with the biggest payouts at the end of the game advance to the next stage, until the final.
Some world-renowned poker tournaments to date include the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the World Poker Tour (WPT) and Triton Poker Super High Roller series. These tournament series take poker to a new level, with thousands of entries and million-dollar pool prizes, creating instant millionaires in a single-event table game.
Main events are held every year worldwide, mainly in Las Vegas, the world gambling capital.
The biggest poker wins of all time
Across the competitive poker space, some big wins showcase the peak of poker expertise. Take a look at the biggest poker wins in history, starting from most to least won:
1. 2019 Triton Super High Roller Series - Triton Million - US$20,563,324
Credits: Joe Giron/Triton Poker
Triton Million High Roller Series is a big hit but was billed as a Helping Hand for Charity. This attracted players of all kinds, ranging from professionals to recreational players.
Every player paid US$1,325,163 for the buy-in and competed for the richest tournament in poker history. This led to three days of amazing games and an ending that took China’s Aaron Zang to the pinnacle of the poker world.
However, Zang and second-placer Bryn Kenney discussed a deal, eventually leading to Zang’s victory while Kenney took the lion's share of the revenue. Zang is in the record books for the tournament, winning the game and a payout of US$6,775,820. On the other hand, Kenney had a superb portfolio led by his US$20,563,324 reward from this event.
2. 2012 WSOP Big One for One Drop - US$18,346,673
Credits: Joe Giron/Poker News
The Big One for One Drop is a US$1,000,000 buy-in tournament in the No-Limit Texas Hold’em format. It was first launched in 2012 with 48 participants and gathered a prize pool of US$42.67 million; the event marked one of the most lucrative wins ever.
During its debut in 2012, Antonio Esfandiari won the first Big One for One Drop, beating Sam Trickett heads-up in the final and earning a whopping US$18,346,673. This is an astonishing amount of money and the biggest reward at the time.
As of 2023, Antonio’s winnings exceed US$27,800,000, cementing him as one of the most successful poker players of all time. In addition to being a popular poker player, he’s also a well-known magician who performs around the Las Vegas strip, earning him the nickname ‘The Magician’ across the poker industry.
3. 2014 WSOP Big One for One Drop - US$15,306,668
Credits: AnalyzePoker
Another entry for the Big One for One Drop event involves another big-time win from a player. The final table consisted of some of the world's most accomplished players, such as Daniel Negreanu and Scott Seiver.
Primarily an online poker player, Daniel Colman gained international fame in the live poker tournament scene when he won The Big One for One Drop 2014. He walked away from his match against Daniel Negreanu with a staggering US$15,306,668.
Colman won in a nail-biting finale when it came down to a heads-up play. The ever-popular Negreanu was the only one standing in Dan’s way, but Coleman emerged victorious and took home the massive reward.
4. 2016 WSOP Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza - US$12,248,912
Credits: Neil Stoddart
Monte Carlo is often referred to as one of the most lucrative cities in the world, as Monaco has home to plenty of casinos. The One Drop Extravaganza event in 2016 was another entry into its history books, where Canadian man Elton Tsang took home the victory.
It was a fantastic result for Tsang, winning US$12,248,912 with a US$1,079.38 buy-in. While there were 28 other players on the field, Tsang became the standout star and won the tournament.
Recent high-value poker winners
Competitive poker has continued to chug on, with tournament events and prize pools only growing bigger in time. Recent poker winners in the past few years have returned with some of the highest payouts possible, although not part of our exclusive list above. Here are some of them:
5. 2023 WSOP Main Event - US$12,100,000
Credits: Hayley Hochstetler
The World Star of Poker’s Main Event is traditionally the tournament where you can get the unofficial title of World Champion. This event has been around since the 1970s, and has since been the birthplace of some of the biggest poker wins in history.
The most recent winner in 2023 was Daniel Weinman, who won US$12,100,000 over 10,043 other participants after beating fellow American Steven Jones in the finals.
6. 2022 WSOP Main Event - US$10,000,000
Credits: Spenser Sembrat
In 2022, Norwegian player Espen Jørstad was named World Champion. He won US$10,000,000 against 8,663 participants and bested Australian Adrian Attenborough in the finals, a massive achievement that took him to the highest level in the poker scene.
The poker rich list: Who are some of the richest poker players with biggest wins?
1. Daniel Negreanu
Born in Toronto, Canada, Daniel Negreanu is the only player who has won World Series of Poker bracelets in Australia, Europe and Las Vegas. As a professional player, he has also won two World Poker Tour championship titles. Over his career, he has accumulated over $34,151,327 in prize money. He is also the first player in history to have won the World Series of Poker Player of the Year more than once. He was awarded this title in 2004 and in 2013. He has been awarded six separate cash outs of $1m or more, and has been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
2. Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel is an American professional player from Las Vegas, Nevada. He has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets in addition to a World Poker Tour title. Over the course of his career, he has won over $33,333,457 in prize money, including over $6.5m in 2011 alone. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010. Having begun his career prior to the rise in popularity of internet poker, his hand in the 1988 World Series of Poker, during which he finished second, was included in the movie Rounders. Prior to taking up poker professionally, Erik was a successful stockbroker.
3. Antonio Esfandiari
Born in Iran, Antonio Esfandiari is currently one of the most popular poker players attending live tournaments. Now living in the US, Esfandiari has made six figures every year since 2004. Over the course of his career, he has amassed $27,096,274 in prize money, including poker's largest ever prize of more than $18.3m in 2012 in The Big One for One Drop. Also known as “The Magician”, by the age of 19 he had already won a World Poker Tour title. Since that time, he has also won three World Series of Poker bracelets and another World Poker Tour title.
4. Fedor Holz
Having racked up $26,746,838 in winnings, Fedor Holz is a young professional player from Vienna, Austria, who plays online under the name CrownUpGuy. He won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2016, where he won just under $5m. His rise to fame in the world of poker has been quick and highly lucrative. He currently focuses on high-roller tournaments. In September 2014, Holz also won the World Championship of Online Poker with a prize of $1.3m. By the end of 2017, his winnings had surpassed all other Germans with regard to career live tournament winnings.
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5. Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey began his career in the casinos of New Jersey before he was of age. Rocking the moniker of “The Tiger Woods of Poker”, Ivey has won an impressive nine World Series of Poker bracelets, beginning in 2000. Ivey had won three of these bracelets by the time he was 23. He has also won a World Poker Tour title and has received over $23,466,348 in prize money. Phil Ivey has won over five prizes in excess of $1m and became the first two-time winner of the Aussie Millions $250,000 Challenge for $2m.
6. Phil Hellmuth Jr.
With the nickname of “The Poker Brat”, Phil Hellmuth Jr. has won more than $21,461,350 over the course of his career. He is an American professional poker player living in Palo Alto, California who dropped out of university after three years to become a full-time poker player. He has won a record 15 World Series of Poker bracelets, including three bracelets in the 1993 World Series of Poker event. Thirteen of the 15 bracelets have been in won in Texas hold’em. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007.
7. John Juanda
Also known as JJ and Luckbox, John Juanda was born in Indonesia, though he currently resides in Marina del Rey, California. His biggest ever single win was $1.6m in 2012, and his total wins have allowed him to accumulate $23,418,600 in prize money. He has won five World Series of Poker bracelets in addition to a European Poker Tour title. He has also won a World Poker Open Championship title. In 2015, Juanda was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
8. Sam Trickett
Sam Trickett won nearly half of his $20,766,881 prize money in one fell swoop when he came second in The Big One for One Drop to win $10.1m, making him Great Britain's most successful poker player of all time. This English poker professional hails from East Retford in Nottinghamshire, and also goes by the nickname “Tricky”. Originally a professional footballer, Trickett began playing poker in 2004 after suffering a career-ending knee injury. He has also played in a series of high-stakes cash games in Macau, which included a number of wealthy Chinese businessmen, during which he is reported to have won approximately £1m.
9. Bryn Kenney
A professional poker player and international businessman from Long Beach, New York, Bryn Kenney began his career as a competitive Magic the Gathering player. He won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2014. Over his career, he has won $20,445,343 in prize money. One of his major wins came in 2016 at the $100K Super High Roller event, during which he defeated the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Joe McKeehen, to walk away with $1,687,800 in prize money.
10. Steve O'Dwyer
Steve O'Dwyer is a professional poker player from America who is best known for his successes on the European Poker Tour. He began his career playing online poker in freeroll tournaments and micro stakes. His nickname is MrTimCaum. As the winner of the 2014 Asia Champion of Poker Super High Roller tournament, he achieved the second largest win of his career. He has also won the European Poker Tour twice and has been successful in a number of high-roller poker tournaments. To date, he has won $20,286,465 in prize money.
Reasons why poker pros win tournaments
Poker winners have reached the pinnacle of success and are, therefore, the best mentors to any aspiring poker player. Observing them on the table by watching their games can impart some of the top tips for poker success you can’t get anywhere else.
To summarise, here are the best traits of these poker pros that led them to their victories
They are good bluffers
To win in poker, you must know how to deceive your opponent. This is done by bluffing, which involves misleading your opponents of the actual strength of your hand. It requires a good poker face, so ensure you have a stone-faced expression that doesn’t show you have a good or bad hand. Learn how to bluff in live dealer games with our guide.
Staying calm with decision-making
Poker can be a high-pressure game, leading to some rash decisions. This is what separates the amateurs from the pros. Veteran poker players know how to stay calm and make snap decisions under pressure.
Extensive preparation and practice
There is no one strategy for playing poker; winning big is possible across different playing styles. At the end of the day, the saying ‘practice makes perfect’ holds true. Rigorous training and practicing poker by yourself is the first step to becoming a professional.
Additionally, studying varying poker strategies, such as aggressive poker plays or GTO vs Exploitative, can distinguish your playstyle from that of your opponents. Watch poker games online and observe how the professionals play to understand the game better.
Lastly, for live poker games, researching your opponents before a match can provide insight into their playstyle, personality and history, which will aid you in strategising how to beat them.
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Frequently asked questions
Who are the most successful players in poker?
The most successful player in the poker world is Bryn Kenny, who earned US$65,000,000. Justin Bonomo follows him with US$63,000,000 and Jason Koon with US$55,000,000. This shows that poker is profitable when you’re skilled and lucky enough to keep winning tournaments.
Is poker a game of skill and luck?
It’s a mix of both. It’s a game of skill, with the goal of outwitting opponents, but it also takes luck, given the draw you can get with the cards.
What is the most common hand that wins in poker?
The most common winning hand is a pair.
Is online poker the same as traditional poker?
The two differ, as traditional poker is centred on outwitting opponents. For online poker, there is a difference between live poker games with cameras, where you can see other players, and games that are played against computers rather than other people.
Words by: Pocholo Magsino
