Biography Johnny Moss was an American gambler and poker player. His nickname was ‘The Grand Old Man of Poker’. During his career, he won nine World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets including three WSOP Main Events (1970, 1971, 1974), a feat matched only by Stu Ungar (1980, 1981, 1997). In 1979, Moss was an inaugural inductee to the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979. Moss died in December 1995, aged 88.
Biography Walter “Puggy” Pearson was an American poker player who won the 1973 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He was one of the first participants in the WSOP in 1970, winning his first bracelet in 1971. Pearson won four WSOP bracelets in total, winning three in 1973 alone including his Main Event win. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1987. Pearson died following a heart attack in April 2006, aged 77.
Biography Jack “Treetop” Straus was an American poker player who won the 1982 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Nicknamed “Treetop” as a result of him being 6'6", Straus died of an aortic aneurysm on August 17, 1988 while playing high-stakes poker at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. Later that year, Straus was posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988. He holds the dubious honour of being one of three Poker Hall of Famers to die whilst playing cards, joining Tom Abdo and Wild Bill Hickok.
Biography Doyle Brunson was an American poker player, often referred to as ‘The Godfather of Poker’. He was arguably one of, if not the greatest poker player of all time and a true legend of the game. Brunson passed away in May 2023 at the age of 89. Brunson was best known for winning the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 1976 and 1977. He was one of only four players to have won the Main Event on more than one occasion.
Biography David “Chip” Reese was an American poker player regarded by many to be one of the best all-around poker players in history. During his career, he won three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and in 1991 was the youngest living player to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. At the 2006 WSOP, he won the inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. Reese died in 2007 aged just 56.
Biography Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston was an American poker player who won the 1972 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He went on to win three other bracelets in three different decades, the last of which came in 1990. Following his success, he appeared on national television including the The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and 60 Minutes. In 1992, Preston was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, recognising his WSOP success and attempts to change the image of poker.
Biography Jack Keller was an American poker player who won the 1984 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He won two other WSOP bracelet as well as Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker twice. Outside of poker, Keller served in the US Air Force prior to becoming a poker player. Keller was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1993. He died on December 5, 2003, aged 60.
Biography Stu Ungar was an American poker player widely considered to have been the greatest player in history. He won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on three occasions (1980, 1981, 1997). He won two more WSOP bracelets in 2-7 Draw (1981) and Seven Card Stud (1983). His youthful looks often made him appear younger than he was, earning him the nickname “The Kid.” Ungar’s talent and powers of recall saw him excel not only at poker but blackjack and gin rummy as well.
Biography Lyle Berman boasts a 30 plus year poker playing career with a first recorded live tournament cash in 1983 and his last coming in 2017. In that time, Berman has won three World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelets as well as $2,694,140 in total live tournament earnings. A member of the Poker Hall of Fame, inducted in 2002 alonside Johnny Chan, and a co-founder of the World Poker Tour (WPT), where he holds the position of chairman.
Biography Johnny Chan is a Chinese-American poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, including the WSOP Main Event in 1987 and 1988. He is the last player to win the Championship event in back-to-back years. In 2002, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. WSOP Legend: Two-Time Main Event Champ Johnny Chan Biography Born in China, Chan came to the United States in 1968 with his family to Arizona.
Biography Bobby Baldwin is an American poker player. A member of the Poker Hall of Fame, inducted in 2003, Baldwin won the 1978 World Series of Poker Main Event and three other WSOP bracelets. Nicknamed the Owl, Baldwin has his first two bracelets in 1977. The following year he defeated Crandell Addington heads-up to win the WSOP Main Event. He was 28 years old and was the youngest winner in the history of the WSOP Main Event.
Biography Berry Johnston is an American poker player who won the 1986 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Over the course of his career he has won five WSOP bracelets, including in Razz and Omaha, with his first bracelet coming in the very first WSOP Heads-Up Event held at the WSOP. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2004. Johnston’s last live WSOP cash came during the 2016 World Series of Poker, but he most recently cashed in two events during the 2020 WSOP Online.
Biography Jack Benny Binion, the son of casino titan Benny Binion, is a hugely respected name amongst the world’s elite poker players, both past and present, as well as Las Vegas’ biggest high rollers. Binion was the first ever host of the World Series of Poker and has left a legacy in the game that is rivalled by few. Poker & Pop Culture: Jack Binion Sorts Fact From Fiction Regarding Moss-Dandolos Match
Biography Crandell “Dandy” Addington is an American poker player and member of the Poker Hall of Fame. He was one of the inaugural players in the 1970 World Series of Poker, and holds the record for most final table appearances (seven). He finished second in the WSOP Main Event on two separate occasions (1974 & 1978). Nicknamed “Dandy” due to his outfits at the table, Doyle Brunson says that Addington stood out like he was some sort of movie star at the tables.
Biography T.J. Cloutier had been a great, well-rounded athlete upon entering college at the University at California at Berkeley with a scholarship to play both football and basketball. When things got rough for his family, Cloutier was forced to drop out of school and settle for a job to do his part. This lasted until he was drafted into the army and sent to fight for the country. It was with this tour of duty that T.
Biography Billy Baxter is an American poker player and seven-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner. Five of Baxter’s seven bracelets have come in 2-7 Draw. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006 and has amassed over $2.7 million in career earnings. Baxter famously won a 1986 court case that argued that poker was a game of skill. In 2010, Baxter narrowly missed out on a World Poker Tour title, finishing fifth for $246,921.
Biography Henry Orenstein was a Polish-American toy maker, poker player and entrepreneur. He is the patent holder for the hole cam, a device that enabled players to see player’s hole cards, which was instrumental in the poker boom. He won a WSOP bracelet in 1996 in a $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud event for $130,000. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2008 and passed away in December 2021 aged 98.
Biography Mike Sexton was an American poker player and commentator. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2009. Over the course of his career he won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and World Poker Tour title, and was a long-time commentator for the World Poker Tour alongside Vince van Patten. Sexton passed away in September 2020 from prostate cancer aged 72. Shortly before his death, the WPT Champions Cup was renamed to the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.
Biography Dan Harrington is an American poker player and author who won the 1995 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Over the course of his career, “Action Dan” won two WSOP bracelets, made four WSOP Main Event final tables, won a WPT title and over six million dollars in tournament winnings. In 2010 he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Biography Harrington was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 6, 1945.
Biography Linda Johnson is an American poker player and former WSOP bracelet winner. She was an inaugural inductee to the Women in Poker Hall of Fame and was the second woman (after Barbara Enright) to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. “I am extremely proud and humbled to be voted into the Poker Hall of Fame, Johnson said at the time. I feel lucky to have been involved in many facets of poker over the past 35 years.
Biography Barry Greenstein is an American professional poker player from Chicago, Illinois. He is widely recognized as The Robin Hood of Poker for donating big parts of his poker winnings to charity. Greenstein has three World Series of Poker bracelets in his trophy collection as well as two World Poker Tour titles. Intro Barry is a very professional player and never seems to lose his cool at the table, even if he does lose the occasional $1 million pot on an episode of High Stakes Poker.
Biography Eric Drache is an American former cardroom manager and tournament director who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2012. Drache served as tournament director for the WSOP from 1973 to 1988, developed the concept of satellites, helped establish the PHoF, and has served as cardroom manager for Mirage and the Golden Nugget. Im not only surprised and honored to have been selected, Im also a bit embarrassed considering the other nominees, Drache said of his selection.
Biography Brian “Sailor” Roberts was an American poker player who won the 1975 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. One of the original Texas road gamblers, Roberts won two WSOP bracelets during his career. He died in June 1995, and was posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2012. Biography Roberts was born in San Angelo, Texas on March 7, 1931. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the US navy and served in the Korean War, earning himself the nickname “Sailor”.
Biography Tom McEvoy is an American poker player who won the 1983 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He is a four-time WSOP bracelet-winner and in 2013, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. “I consider this the highest honor a poker player can receive next to winning the Main Event of the World Series of Poker,” he said at the time. “I feel both deeply honored and humbled to be included with all the other poker greats.
Biography Scotty Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American poker player. Over the course of his career, he has won five World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets including the 1998 WSOP Main Event. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2013. Thank you so much, this is wonderful news, Nguyen said at the time. You work so hard, you put so much time in that you want and hope it will be recognized.
Biography Jack McClelland is a former poker tournament director and cardroom manager. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of fame in 2014. Being inducted into the Class of 2014 Poker Hall of Fame is a very exciting prospect and I am sure it will be a very humbling experience, said McClelland. I thank everyone involved in this process and to the WSOP, WPT and all of the great people I have met and the wonderful people I have worked with throughout the years.
Biography Often, when big names in the poker world are tossed around amongst fans of the game, John Juandas name is left out. Its not that he hasnt had a deserving career, but rather his quiet nature that sometimes leaves people to forget about how great a player he really is. Intro John Juanda is a professional poker player of Chinese-Indonesian origin currently residing in Marina del Rey, California. He is known for winning five World Series of Poker bracelets first of which he collected in 2002 by winning the $1,500 Limit Ace to Five Triple Draw event for almost $50,000.
Biography Todd Brunson may be the son of poker legend Doyle Brunson, but since turning pro himself after dropping out of Texas Tech University, Todd had put his own stamp on the poker world. Among his accolades, Todd has amassed over $3.2 million in career tournament earnings and owns his own WSOP gold bracelet. Much like his father, most of Todds poker career has been spent playing cash games. Hes a regular in the highest limits around Las Vegas and has proven himself to be one of the best players in the world.
Biography Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian poker player who won the 2001 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Known as ‘El Matador’, Mortensen has also won three World Poker Tour (WPT) titles and has cashed for over $6.7 million on the WPT alone, more than any other player. In 2016, Mortensen was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Biography Born in Ambato, Ecuador on April 13, 1972, Mortensen moved to Spain as a child.
Biography Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott was a British poker player. During his career, he won both a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and a World Poker Tour title. He died in 2015 and was posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017. Biography Ulliott was born in 1954 in Kingston upon Hull. He left school at 15 and became involved in organized crime. During his 20s, Ulliott served a number of spells in prison for various crimes including insurance fraud, armed robbery and affray.
Biography Mori Eskandani is a poker TV producer and president of PokerGO. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018. A former high stakes cash game player, for two decades Eskandani has worked behind the scenes on such programs as the World Series of Poker on ESPN, NBC Heads-Up Championship, Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker. PokerNews Covered Events Event Place Prize 2023 World Series of PokerEvent #22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship 17th $17,500 2022 WSOP OnlineEvent #1: $400 NLH Kick-Off 36th $1,332 2022 World Series of PokerEvent #9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud 27th $3,018 2021 World Series of PokerEvent #12: $1,500 Limit Hold’em 52nd $2,631 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 32: $10,000 H.
Biography John Hennigan is an American poker player and six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018. Biography Born on August 10, 1970, Hennigan learned to play pool at a young age, traveling to play on the pool circuit. A big gambler, Hennigan gained the nickname “Johnny World” due to his willingness to gamble on anything in the world. Gambling on pool would lead him to poker, with his first recorded cash coming in 1997.
Biography David Oppenheim is an American poker player who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2019. Having started out playing poker during his second year in college, Oppenheim has been consistently crushing the the high stakes cash games for many years. He is a regular winner in the high stakes games in Bobby’s Room. “Being recognized as one of the all-time greats by my peers is truly humbling, and I am honored to have been selected to the Poker Hall of Fame,” said Oppenheim about his induction.
Biography Huck Seed is an American poker player who won the 1996 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He has won four WSOP bracelets and made two WSOP final tables during his career He also won the WSOP Tournament of Champions in 2010, and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in 2009. In 2008 and 2009 he made back-to-back final tables in the WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. In 2020, Seed was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Biography Eli Elezra is one of the most instantly recognizable poker players in the world, thanks to him enjoying a long and illustrious career going back to the mid-1990s. The five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner is equally adept at tournament poker as he is at high-stakes cash games. Elezra was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2021. Background Elezra was born November 24, 1960, in Jerusalem, Israel, and has lived a colorful and varied life.
Biography Born May 18, 1969, Layne Flack hailed from Rapid City, South Dakota before working as a poker dealer in small card clubs in Montana. Eventually, he found his way to Nevada and learned under poker greats like Johnny Chan and Ted Forrest. “At 24, he and his girlfriend moved to Reno, Nevada and by 1995, when his daughter Hailey was born, Layne was a full-time professional poker player,” Al Moe previously wrote in this PokerNews profile.