While poker is a hobby for most people, it means big business to professional players. The top gamers can win up to seven figures in tournaments, increasing their funds and helping them rank higher on money lists.
Over the years, plenty of poker players have made history with some amazing wins. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the biggest and most impressive poker wins in history. Do you want to learn more about these legendary victories? If so, keep reading!
1. WSOP Main Event in 2006
With a total pool amount of $82,512,62, the 37th Annual Poker World Series Main Event continues to hold a record-breaking title in poker history. This event started on the 25th of June and ended almost 2 months after, on August 10, 2006. In addition, the event’s location was in Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A total of 8773 poker players participated in the event, and the overall champion was Jamie Gold, who came all the way from Malibu, California. The total amount he won reached $12,000,000, together with a WSOP champion bracelet. As a result, the 2006 WSOP Main Event became the poker tournament with the 6th-largest single payout.
To give you a brief background of the champion, Jamie Gold is a professional poker player, a talent agent, and a television producer who lives in Malibu. Currently, he is taking a presidentship responsibility in an entertainment production company, Buzznation.
2. Big One for One Drop in 2012
The Big One for One Drop poker game in 2012 was the time when Sam Trickett got his biggest break in the poker industry. He is an English professional player who took $10,122,001 in a single event win. Sam Trickett was initially introduced to poker in 2005 after he had to stop his football career due to a knee injury.
Today, this English professional player lands 12th place in the highest poker earners of all time, receiving more than $20,000,000 in all his tournament wins. After the big win in the Big One for One Drop in 2012, he became even more famous for being Great Britain’s most successful player.
3. WSOP Main Event 2017
The 48th WSOP Event in 2017 in Las Vegas joined 7221 famous professional poker players from May 30, 2017, to July 17 of the same year. During the event, a total of 1084 finalists won the pool amount of $67,877,400. The overall champion was Scott Blumstein from New Jersey, who brought home $8,150,000, followed by Dan Ott, who won $4,700,000.
Before Scott became a professional player, he graduated with an accounting degree from Pennsylvania’s Temple University.
4. Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza
With a total of 25 players, Elton Tsang came out victorious in 2016’s 1,000,000-Euro Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza. He is currently placing third in the list of professional poker players receiving the largest single payout in poker history with $12,248,912.
Elton Tsang is considered to be one of the few skilled Asian professional poker players. He is based in Hong Kong and started joining live poker tournaments in Macau before joining larger and more established poker scenes.
One of his most memorable games was in Monte Carlo, where he battled against Gurtovoy. Elton Tsang used an aggressive playing style, showcasing a high-roller disposition and consistently increasing the bet to pressure his opponent.
5. Big One for One Drop in 2014
Daniel Colman, a famous online poker player, decided to join the limelight and participated in a live poker tournament during 2014 Big One for One Drop. This was the perfect time for Colman to gain international recognition when he brought home $15,306,668.
In fact, Daniel Colman was considered one of the best professional poker players in history, displaying outstanding game sensibility. He knows how to properly read the poker table well, strategizing and leading the game with pure aggression.
6. WSOP Main Event in 2010
The WSOP Main Event in 2010 was the 41st in history. It was when 7319 of the best poker players joined the event and showcased their professional skills in the tournament. The event started last May 28 and lasted until July 17 at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This poker game was considered history’s fourth-biggest win, with a total prize pool amounting to $68,799,059.
Aside from the pool money, championship bracelets and a $10,000 No-Limit Championship were also prizes to the grand champion, Jonathan Duhamel, from Quebec, Canada. He was also the first winner, with $8,944,310 as the cash prize. Meanwhile, John Racener was in second place with $5,545,955; the third place belonged to Joseph Cheon with $4,130,049.
Ultimately, Jonathan Duhamel was the first Canadian professional poker player who won 3 WSOP bracelets, 26 money finishes, and 8 final tables to date.