Famous Top Poker Players

Tiffany Michelle Poker Player Profile

2011-01-07T03:18:00.000-08:00

Tiffany Michelle: Sexy Poker Player

The poker's pride Tiffany “Hot Chips” Michelle has it all! From a best female poker player, commentator, actress, singer and a hot massage therapist. Probably from her performance at the World Series of Poker Main Event this year. She outlasted nearly 8000 players. She nearly made the final table and ended up winning $334,534. It was the best achievement by a woman since 2000.

Tiffany Michelle caused major controversy when she dumped her sponsor Pokernews to sign with Ultimate Bet, just before getting knocked out at the Series. A year before, in 2007, Tiffany Michelle started working for the PokerNews website as a hostess for their online videos. During the 2008 World Series of Poker she was still working for PokerNews as a hostess and agreed with the owner of PokerNews Tony G and Jeffrey Lisandro to play the $10,000 main event for them. They would pay her buy-in and in return she would wear a PokerNews badge and get 20% of the winnings.

TIFFANY MICHELLE AND HER CAREER

Poker Player Tiffany Michelle

When the main event had finally begun she started out wearing PokerNews gear and apparel, however she ended her main event wearing an Ultimate Bet logo. The PokerNews owner Tony G wasn't the only one disappointed in this whole episode; so was PokerNews, who came out with an official statement 48 hours after the logo incidents and after Tiffany Michelle had finished at 17th place.

So far Tiffany Michelle has not been able to repair the damage done to her image as a poker player and has never brought out an official statement.

Tiffany Michelle in the
red carpet premiere of The Backup Plan

TIFFANY MICHELLE PROFILE

She grew up playing with her brothers and grandfather, and she honed her poker skills like many other entertainers and actors: through house games and charity tourneys. She caught the poker bug and started playing more, eventually winning her first Vegas tourney.

Tiffany Michelle was spotted and recruited for the Bombshell Poker team and soon afterwards she started reporting for Bluff Radio covering the 2006 WSOP. Ever since she has been traveling the circuit reporting for PokerNews and Bluff.

Tiffany Michelle (left) with
Lacey Jones (middle) and Maria Ho (right)

After her success in the 2008 WSOP, she is now taken much more seriously as a poker player. Never settling for just one game when she could play several, Michelle excels in Stud, Omaha, H.O.R.S.E. and Chinese poker and recently played in GSN’s World Series of Blackjack.

Away from the poker tables, Michelle is also an accomplished actress and singer. Her most recent appearance was in Will Ferrell’s hit movie Semi-Pro, where she played a ball girl. She has also been featured on shows like ER and American Dreams. Her singing on the other hand isn’t really my taste, and sounds like it needs a lot more work, but if you are interested you can check out her myspace page.

Tiffany Michelle in ER

She was also a homeschooled since childhood and has co-written a christian book with her mother, Scriptures at your Fingertips for Teens. We think it's a shame that all the social skills she learned whilst writing her heavenly scriptures and staying at home didn't pay off for her poker carrier. She also passed on the 2009 World Series of Poker to compete on the CBS show The Amazing Race.

TIFFANY MICHELLE VIDEOS

Poker Buzz: Maria Ho on The Amazing Race

Under The Gun: Porn and Poker

Sexiest Female Poker Players

2010-12-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

Poker has been a favorite hobby everyone like to play either to socialize or to try to test one's skill in playing it. Other people who play the game isn't a full-time poker player. They also have other stuff to do for a living, hobbies to satisfy inner contentment and places to be with.

This holiday season, Top Poker Players blog presents you some of the Sexiest Female Poker Players. This list will make your mouth water and sweat even when it's cold. Feast your eyes for you will only see the hottest list here!

Joanna Krupa

Occupation: Model / Poker Player
Born: April 23, 1979
Birth Place: Warsaw, Poland
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5” 7' (5 ft. 7 in. / 1.70 m)
Eye Color: Blue / Green
Religion: Roman Catholic
TV Appearances: Superstars, Dancing With The Stars, The Man Show, Las Vegas, CSI, Million Dollar Challenge, Poland's Next Top Model
Movie Appearances: The Underground Comedy Movie, Planet Of The Apes, No Shoes No Mercy, Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon, The Dog Problem, Ripple Effect, Skinner Box
Magazine Appearances: ENVY, FHM, Personal, Inside Sport, Stuff, Steppin' Out, Teeze, Shape and Maxim

Chantel McNulty

Occupation: Poker Player
Born: 1980
Birth Place: Lake Dallas, Texas
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black

Shannon Elizabeth

Occupation: Actress / Poker Player
Born: September 7, 1973
Birth Place: Houston, Texas
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Chestnut Brown
TV Appearances: Arliss, Hang Time, USA High, Step by Step, Pacific Blue, Blade Squad, Dying to Live, G vs E, Just Shoot Me, Off Centre, The Twilight Zone, The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron, That '70s Show, One on One, Confessions of an American Bride, King of the Hill, Cuts, You Belong To Me, Dancing With The Stars
Movie Appearances: Jack Frost, Blast, Seamless: Kidz Rule, American Pie, Scary Movie, Evicted, Dish Dogs, Tomcats, American Pie 2, Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, Thir13en Ghost, Survivin' the Island, Love Actually, Johnson Family Vacation, Cursed, The Kid and I, The Grand, Deal, Night of the Demons

Tiffany Michelle

Nickname: Hot Chips
Occupation: TV Personality, Actress, Poker Player
Born: 1984
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
TV Appearance: Amazing Race Season 15, ER, Guilty, Innocent, This Hour has 22 Minutes

Vanessa Rousso

Nickname: Lady Maverick / Pokerness
Occupation: Poker Player
Born: February 5, 1983
Birth Place: White Plains, New York
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
TV Appearances: Million Dollar Challenge, Bank of Hollywood, Poker After Dark, Travel Channel, ESPN
Magazine Appearances: Maxim, Sports Illustrated, Forbes

Liv Boeree

Nickname: The Iron Maiden
Occupation: TV Presenter, Model, Poker Player, Guitarist
Born: 1984
Birth Place: Kent, England
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green
TV Appearance: Golden Balls, Ultimatepoker.com Showdown
Magazine Appearance: Loaded Magazine

Kara Scott

Nickname: Great Scott
Occupation: TV Personality, Journalist, Poker Player
Birth Place: Alberta, Canada
Hair Color: Brunette
Eye Color: Dark Brown

Jennifer Tilly

Nickname: The Unabombshell / J Tilla the Killa
Occupation: Actress / Poker Player
Born: September 16, 1958
Birth Place: Harbor City, Los Angeles, California
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
TV Appearance: The Initiation of Sarah, Out of Practice, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Kid, Sister Mary Explains It All
Movie Appearances: No Small Affair, Moving Violations, Cheers, Remote Control, Inside Out, He's My Girl, Johnny Be Good, Rented Lips, High Spirits, Moonlighting, Far From Home, Let It Ride, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Doors, Scorchers, Shadow of the Wolf, Key West, The Webbers, Heads, Made in America, Double Cross, Bullets Over Broadway, Embrace of the Vampire, The Getaway, Bird of Prey, Man with a Gun, The Pompatus Love, House Arrest, Bound, American Strays, Liar Liar, Eddie and Pen, The Wrong Guy, Bella Mafia, Relax.. It's Just Sex, Hoods, Bride of Chucky, Music From Another Room, Family Guy, The Muse, Goosed, Do Not Disturb, Bartok the Magnificent, Stuart Little, Play It To The Bone, Cord, Bruno, Dancing Blue Iguana, The Crew, Dirt, Fast Sofa, Monsters Inc, Ball in the House, The Cat's Meow, Hollywood North, The Haunted Mansion, Frasier, Nowhere To Go But Up, Jericho Mansions, Second Best, Perfect Opposites, Home of the Range, El Padrino, Saint Ralph, Love on the Side, Seed of Chucky, Bailey's Billion$, Lil Pimp, The Civilization of Maxwell Bright, Tideland, The Poker Movie, Intervention, Deal, The Caretaker, Bart Got a Room, Inconceivable and more.

Erin Ness

Occupation: TV Personality, Photo Producer for Maxim, Poker Player
Born: December 9, 1978

Beth Shak

Occupation: Poker Player
Born: November 8, 1969

Laura Prepon

Occupation: Scientologist, Actress, Model, Film Producer, Poker Player
Born: March 7, 1980
Birth Place: Watchung, New Jersey
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5' 10”
Religion: Half Jewwish / Half Irish Catholic
TV Appearance: They Go On, That 70s Show, October Road, American Dad, King of the Hill
Movie Appearance: Slackers, Lightning Bug, Southlander
Magazine Appearance: Stuff Magazine, Maxim Magazine

Helen Marie Chamberlain

Nickname: Helen Chamberlain
Occupation: TV Presenter, Poker Player
Born: April 2, 1967
Birth Place: Street, Somerset
Hair Color: Blonde
TV Appearance: Soccer AM, Vroom Vroom
Magazine Appearance: Penthouse, Euro 2004 ads

Isabelle Mercier

Nickname: No Mercy
Occupation: Poker Player
Born: August 5, 1975
Birth Place: Victoriaville, Quebec
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Magazine Appearance: Card Player Poker Magazine

Evelyn Ng

Nickname: Evybabee
Occupation: Poker Player
Born: September 14, 1975
Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
TV Appearance: King of Vegas, Criss Angel: Mindfreak

Liz Lieu

Occupation: Photographer, Poker Player
Born: August 2, 1974
Birth Place: Vietnam

Jennifer Leigh

Nickname: Jennicide
Occupation: Poker Player
Born: August 10, 1983
Birth Place: Wilmington, Delaware
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Dark Brown

Kimberly Lansing

Occupation: TV Host, Poker Player
Hair Color: Dark Brown

Lacey Jones

Occupation: Actress, Model, Poker Player
Born: April 9, 1979
Birth Place: San Antonio, Texas
Hair Color: Blonde
TV Appearance: MGD Coors Light commercial, The O.C., Entourage
Magazine Appearance: BLUFF, TORO Magazine

Shana Hiatt

Occupation: TV Host, Model, Poker Player
Born: December 17, 1975
Hair Color: Golden Brown
Height: 5' 6”
Eye Color: Dark Brown
TV Appearance: Poker After Dark, World Poker Tour
Magazine Appearance: Player Magazine, Maxim Magazine, Playboy

Tara Rice

Occupation: Model, Actress, Poker Player
Born: 1982
Birth Place: Valencia, California
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5' 9”
Magazine Appearance: Maxim

Erica Schoenberg
Nickname: Blackjack Babe, Poker Babe
Occupation: Kickboxing Trainer, Poker Player, Blackjack Player
Born: March 25, 1978
Birth Place: Akron, Ohio
Hair Color: Blonde

Tatjana Pasalic
Nickname: Tasha
Occupation: TV Presenter, Blogger, Poker Player
Born: December 28, 1984
Birth Place: Bosanska Gradiska, Bosnia
Hair Color: Dark Brown
TV Appearance: Vecera za 5, Big Game, Face the Pro
Movie Appearance:
Magazine Appearance: KLIK, FHM

Tina Wallman
Nickname: Queen of Hearts
Occupation: Model, Poker Player
Born: January 28, 1981
Birth Place: Melbourne, Australia
Hair Color: Black
Height: 170 cm
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Magazine Appearance: ZooWeekly, Maxim Magazine

Jean Gluck
Resides: Los Angeles, California
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Radio Appearance: The Average Joe Poker Show

Phil Ivey Poker Player Profile

2010-12-21T23:28:00.000-08:00

Phil Ivey World Class Poker Player

One of the famous top poker players today, Bluff Magazine's Player of the Year in 2005, He earned a nickname “No Home Jerome” before he made it big in the poker scene and known for his aggressive style in the poker tables. Still haven't guessed the next top poker player? Ok then here's another hint, he is called for being the “Tiger Woods of Poker”. Oh common! His name is Phil Ivey!

Arguably the best of the best poker players, like I already said, he is known for his aggressive style in playing Poker. Some of the tough opponents he has played against includes Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson, Larry Flynt, Chip Reese, and Andy Beal. Unlike other poker players that blabbers rubbish things in the table, Phil Ivey have a reserved personality that makes him more complicated to played against.

Phil Ivey in his car

“I wouldn’t say there is a “best” player in the world. It’s whoever it is on that day. I feel that when I’m playing my best no one can beat me, but I don’t play my best all the time.” - Phil Ivey

PHIL IVEY POKER PLAYER PROFILE

Phil Ivey in a suit

His real full name is Phillip D. Ivey, born on the 1st of February 1976 in Riverside, California then his family moved to New Jersey. He now currently resides in Las Vegas. One of the well-known professional American poker players that already made a mark in Poker history. Phil is a fan of Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and a Buffalo Bills and often seen wearing basketball jerseys.

Phil Ivey's hobbies includes playing video games, prop betting and playing golf. There are rumors that he was hopeless at first in playing golf. He participated in the inaugural World Series of Golf, where he finished in third place. Although he admits humbly that Lindgren is a much better golfer than he is. But you can sense in his tone leaves you with the feeling that you’d be a fool to back anyone but Ivey.

“I predict that he won’t be able to play with me in two years” he said.

RISE OF HIS POKER CAREER

Phil started playing in the 1990s, when he was younger and developing his skills by playing against his co-workers at New Jersey Telemarketing firm. He got the nickname "No Home Jerome" from his old ID card he got to practice in Atlantic City.

He was the youngest ever poker player to gain eight (8) WSOP bracelets. He makes sure that he works on his game everytime. Focused on the details other poker players give him but played it coolly even if other players bashed on him he wouldn't hear it

Phil Ivey lost $100,000 pot at a WPT event after wearing sunglasses that caused him to misread his hole cards.

“I think that if you’re so uncomfortable with yourself that you have to wear shades maybe you shouldn’t be playing poker. You don’t see many of the top poker players wearing shades. If you come to my poker game at the Bellagio... to the poker game, you won’t see any of them wearing sunnies.”

He admitted that 2005 is one of the greatest year in his tournament career.

“I’ve never won anything like this in the past. Even though I’m usually in the Top 20, I never have much of a chance of winning a player of the year award, because I don’t play in as many tournaments as everybody else.” said Ivey answering if he is getting used to the attention because of being Bluff Magazine's Poker Player of the Year.

When the subject changed to the Pot Limit Omaha event where he won a bracelet he said,

“I was really happy with the way everything went in that event. It’s always nice to get a bracelet, because, nowadays, it’s so hard to get one. There are a couple of hundred players in each event and the competition’s much harder than it used to be. So for someone like me who doesn’t play too many events, it’s nice. I think I played, like, seven events this year. Next year, I’m going to play a lot more tournaments and we’re going to see what happens.

Most of my time is spent playing at the big game at the Bellagio. If there was a good cash game going on, I’d sit in the tournament and try to accumulate some chips. And if I got some chips, I’d hopefully make it down to the end. If I didn’t get some chips, I’d be out early, and I’d go and play the cash game. That was generally my strategy, but now I’ve decided to take tournaments a lot more seriously… I just play as well as I can all the way through.”

PHIL IVEY VIDEOS

Phil Ivey on his 8th WSOP bracelet

Phil Ivey 2009 WPT Championship

Vanessa Rousso Poker Player Profile

2010-12-09T04:19:00.000-08:00

Vanessa Rousso: Hot Female Poker Player

I noticed a lot of poker player today are selling some of their stuffs at eBay. You may know this next Top Poker Player with her recent news about selling her Lamborghini Gallardo on the same site. She is called as “Pokerness” and “Lady Maverick” which was taken from Mel Gibson's movie “Maverick”.

She has made several appearances on the Poker After Dark TV program. She has also been televised as part of the World Poker Tour. She is known for wearing a cap, headphones and designer sunglasses. Vanessa Rousso is the chip leader of 2010 WPT Doyle Brunson Poker Classic Final Table or also called as the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

VANESSA ROUSSO PROFILE

Vanessa looking sexy in a swimsuit

Vanessa Rousso is a French-American dual citizen born in New York on February 5, 1983. She was a student in Duke University where she graduated with honors on full scholarship. She then went to the University of Miami to take Law with high hopes of being a securities litigator. That was before she met the game of Poker.

Her interest in Game Theory (which teaches how to apply complex math based decision making strategies to day to day life) has really big part in making her interested in playing poker. To think of it, she very fit of becoming a successful poker player even before she noticed her potential. She become serious in playing poker when she was just minor. But because she still a minor and not allowed in casinos, she started playing online.

Top poker pro Vanessa Rousso has been in the money since 2005 and has amassed career earnings in excess of $2.1 million, landing her among the top five women on the all-time money winners list in pro poker history. She has also gained fame with her 2009 stint in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, appearing in a Swimming With Sharks ad.

She built her first stake at Hard Rock sit and go 10 player tables where her first prize was $250. From there, she was able to save for a $1,500 entry fee in Atlantic City in late 2005, which she parlayed into $17,500. This enabled her to afford entry into the World Poker Tour event at the Bellagio Vegas.

RISE OF HER POKER CAREER

Vanessa Rousso smiling in the tables

It was during that short time that her game theory interests led her to become a solid chess player who eventually took more than a casual interest in poker, a game that she played in her youth but began to long to play on a more competitive level.

Though her education continued as she started the University of Miami School of Law on a Chaplin Scholarship in 2004, she also began to play poker tournaments.

Vanessa Rousso had 5 money finishes at WPT events and one at the EPT. She finished second to Huck Seed in the 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship tournament. She finished 7th of the 2009 WPT Season 7 Southern Poker Championship.

Vanessa began making an impact on the live tournament circuit in 2005, developing her skills with several impressive results. A year later, she made the final table of the WPT Championship event, finishing 7th and taking home over $250,000.

Her biggest prize came from her victory at the €25,000 EPT High Roller Championship in 2009, cashing $749k. Another of Vanessa Rousso's huge wins was online poker when she finished second at the main event of the 2007 WCOOP (World Championship of Online Poker held at PokerStars) Main event, cashing $700k.

In the same year, Vanessa Rousso also became the youngest ever female player at the time to reach a World Series final table, with an 8th place finish in the $5,000 Shorthanded Hold'em event.

This was followed by victory in a preliminary event at the WPT Borgata Poker Open, where Vanessa beat a field of 173 to win first place prize money of $285,450.

VANESSA ROUSSO UPDATES

VANESSA'S POKER DIET

As a female poker player, she had a figure she had to maintain and that's not numbered figures but her hot sexy body. "Carbs and Cards don't mix" Vanessa Rousso said. She claimed a strict diet in playing poker.

"One of the secrets to going deep in a main event is mental and physical endurance. Keeping track of your blood sugar level and not bloating up on too many carbs or processed sugars will really help you do well during the course of a tournament. So, I like to start out (when I play poker) with muesli or oatmeal and that's pretty much the only carbs I'll have all day. I'll also have some orange juice and hard-boiled eggs - which should be in there somewhere for protein."

"I don't like the yolks" She admits that she only eats the egg whites. "I was at middle school. My boyfriend had done something and I was upset. He told me, 'Here's human nature. You chase, they run. You run, they chase'. That's just one example of one of the intuitive psychological things my mother taught me. My mom really understands people...and that's 50 per cent of being a good poker player, understanding people."

Vanessa Rousso is in PokerStars Pro

She added, "It used to be really hard to deal with that. I made me think maybe I was a one hit wonder and led to some real insecurities. But over the last four years I've made seven six figure cashes. I've been profitable in tournaments year in, year out. So I've proved all I need to for both me and the people whose opinions I respect.

"The biggest irony is that all those people on Two Plus Two are the exact prototype of the types of people that have been my best friends my whole life. Super-smart, kind of geeky guys. That's pretty much my crew. I've always been best friends with those type of people. I fit right in with them. And at the end of the day, they're just judging me on my looks. They don't even know me"

When Vanessa Rousso isn’t playing, she somehow manages to find time for many hobbies. Describing herself as something of an adrenaline junkie, she regularly goes skydiving and bungee jumping. Vanessa has also writes poker strategy articles to several poker magazines.

Vanessa Rousso's total tournament winnings are in excess of $2.486 million. At 26 years old, Vanessa is among the top five women for all-time money winnings. But that is not all. She also makes some extra money by endorsing companies such as godaddy.com.

VANESSA ROUSSO VIDEOS

Vanessa Rousso on Game Theory

2010 WPT Five Diamond: Doyle Brunson and Vanessa Rousso

Daniel Alaei Poker Player Profile

2010-12-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

Poker Pro Daniel Alaei

He outlasted three hundred twenty eight other poker players in one of the popular poker tournaments in the world, World Poker Tour (WPT) in the Doyle Brunson Classic Championship event earlier this evening taking home worth $1,428,430 and an entry into the $25k WPT Championship plus a Rolex watch.

Well known for his appearances on a popular television show which features cash game action, this includes the first three (3) seasons. Probably most of you is familiar with “High Stakes Poker”. Daniel Alaei is a poker pro from Santa Fe Springs in California. With his cool looks by the help of his shades and earphone, this poker player will surely give you the A-game you are looking for.

Daniel Alaei Poker Player Profile

Daniel Alaei Playing Poker

A professional poker player, Daniel Alaei is originally from Santa Fe Springs, California but now currently resides in Las Vegas. In 2006, He won his first World Series Of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. Before winning coveted poker bracelets and taking home countless of pots in poker tournaments, Daniel Alaei was a used sports car dealer, he would travel to shows to buy sports car and re-sell them. He was interested in the game of Poker ever since he was just 15 years old.

The Rise of His Poker Career

Daniel Alaei now has about $4.9 million dollars in total lifetime tournament cashes. He also managed to win both a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet and World Poker Tour (WPT) title in the same year. Daniel Alaei had to battle through a very stacked final table that included some of the best poker players like Josh Arieh, Faraz Jaka and Scotty Nguyen.

Alaei's Favorite Casino Games

In a lot of interviews Daniel Alaei states that his favorite casino games are No Limit Texas Holdem Poker and Pot Limit Texas Hold’em Poker. No wonder he is good at playing those poker variants. Of course, he did have the advantage of living in close proximity to the casinos that sure did help in making him the good player he is today.

Professional Poker Player Daniel Alaei

From his long break, Daniel Alaei came second in the 2010 L.A. Poker Classic High Roller Event last February 28, 2010 with a buy-in of $24,000 and with a huge prize pool worth $1,012,700. Alaei won $222,790 after Scott Seiver beat him. So far his biggest live cashes winnings is on the 2009 Five Diamond Poker Classic in the WPT Doyle Brunson Classic Championship event. Some of his poker aliases that he use in online poker rooms are FakeSky in FullTilt Poker and steamraise in PokerStars.

Daniel Alaei Videos

Cash Game Advice from Daniel Alaei

Daniel Alaei Answers Your Poker Questions

Jason Mercier Poker Player Profile

2010-12-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

Jason Mercier holding cards

“In both poker and life, you have to stay positive. You’d be amazed at how far positive thinking can take you.” - Jason Mercier

He is also known as treysfull21 as his preferred poker screen name. With $5,699,493 Lifetime Winnings, 1 WSOP Bracelet, 12 Career Titles and 62 Career Cashes, Jason Mercier is one of the most promising top poker players this year that is worth mentioning here at Top Poker Players blog.

JASON MERCIER PROFILE

“Poker is still fun for me. I love the game, I love playing almost every day. I am not worried that I will get burnt out from poker, I may however get burnt out from all the traveling. It wears on me sometimes, so I try to balance as much as I can.” - Jason Mercier

Poker Pro Jason Mercier

From Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this American Professional Poker Player ranked second in the Best Top Poker Players all over the world by ESPN. His records and stats also says that he deserves it. Despite his standings as a poker player, he is quite humble.

THE RISE OF HIS POKER CAREER

When asked about how he learn to play poker he said, “I pretty much learned (poker) by trial and error, I didn’t really start to talk with a lot of high level thinking (poker) players until after I won (European Poker Tour) San Remo.”

He first learned Poker when he was just in high school. After he graduated in college, he became a math teacher but his success in poker changed the course of his life.

MERCIER'S TOURNAMENT WINS

Mercier holding a PokerStar trophy

Jason Mercier won two (2) EPT (European Poker Tour) Final Tables, first on Season 4 in EPT San Remo where he won €869,000 or worth $1,372,893. His second win followed the next season in the 2008 EPT Barcelona event (Sebastian Ruthenberg won the event) adding €227,800 (or $324,946) in his bankroll.

In a non-title event at the EPT (European Poker Tour) London £20,000 High Roller Event a.k.a 2008 £1 Million Showdown, Jason Mercier won an additional £516,000 (or $944,847).

HIS THOUGHT'S ABOUT THE LAW

“It would be great for poker if they changed the laws. I have been and still am waiting for that day for the last few years.” his thoughts about legalizing poker.

Some of his respected poker players are Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, Zach Blackwell James and Barry Greenstein. He can be seen online playing poker at Pokerstars as treysfull21 or JasonMercier and Full Tilt Poker as treysfull21.

JASON MERCIER VIDEOS

Final Table Preview: PokerStars NAPT Los Angeles

Poker Strategy by Badeucey and Badacey with Jason Mercier

Peter Eastgate sells WSOP bracelet on eBay

2010-12-01T02:57:00.000-08:00

Peter Eastgate Sells His WSOP Bracelet to help UNICEF

SACRIFICING ONE TO HELP MANY

To help children via the worldwide known charity, UNICEF, Eastgate put his WSOP bracelet on auction at eBay. The said WSOP bracelet was decorated with nearly 300 diamonds set in white gold.

Peter Eastgate sells WSOP bracelet on eBay

Peter Eastgate: WSOP 2008 Main Event Champ

“The unique piece of a Corum bracelet weighs 168 [grams] and is made of 18kt White Gold paved with 291 diamonds and the face, which says “World Series of Poker 2008”, is Hand painted in silver and decorated with black and red card suits.” - as described in eBay.

After 116 bids and reaching six (6) figures, the auction closed last Thursday morning. The winning bid went to the $147,500 bidder where the bid came in at 5:38 am just 22 minutes before the auction closed.

EASTGATE'S BRACELET RAISED INTEREST

World Series Of Poker 2008 Bracelet

The WSOP Bracelet Peter Eastgate sold in eBay did not just interest poker fanatics and his fans. Poker Professional Player Antanas “Tony G” Guoga posted in his blog the WSOP bracelet to make a collar for his dog, Zasko, a German Shepherd. Although, it wasn't clear which bid was his.

Peter Eastgate wasn't the only one selling their precious WSOP bracelet on eBay. Seems like Poker Pro, T.J. Cloutier also sold the bracelet last January. He also was selling his 2007 Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge IV Championship bracelet. Cake Poker bought the bracelet and then returned it to it's owner.

Peter Eastgate Quits Playing Poker

2010-12-01T02:49:00.000-08:00

Peter Eastgate on Inside Poker

Earlier this year, Peter Eastgate abruptly retired from poker and did not appear at this summer’s WSOP Tournament.

“When I started playing poker for a living, it was never my goal to spend the rest of my life as a professional poker player. My goal was to become financially independent. I achieved that by winning the WSOP main event in 2008. The period following has taken me on a worldwide tour, where I have seen some amazing places and met many new people; it has been a great experience.”

EASTGATE QUITING POKER

Fame and Glory is just a thing of the present but you can't have that forever. Everything has a reason why they came to our life. Eventually, someone will come and grab it. That's what poker player, Peter Eastgate thought.

“In the 20 months following my WSOP win, I feel that I have lost my motivation for playing high-level poker along the way, and I have decided that now is the time to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life. What this will be, I do not yet know. I have decided to take a break from live tournament poker, and try to focus on Peter Eastgate, the person. I want to thank PokerStars, my friends and family for their support over the last 20 months, and for their support in my decision to take a break from poker."

Pokerstars, Peter Eastgate's chosen sponsor, respected his decision to quit poker. They released a statement saying:

“We know that poker will miss this world-class player and world-class role model, but PokerStars has only the deepest respect for Peter’s decision. Poker is about determination and excitement, and if Peter lacks this in his game, the right decision is to take a break. Peter has played amongst world champions and he has carried his title in the most admirable fashion.”

Peter Eastgate Poker Player Profile

2010-12-01T02:42:00.000-08:00

Top Poker Player: Peter Eastgate

At the age of 22, Peter Eastgate is widely known as the one who snatched the title of being the youngest ever WSOP Main Event champ from Phil Hellmuth, another professional poker player in 2008.

PETER EASTGATE'S PROFILE

Peter Eastgate was raised in a suburb in Odense, Denmark called Dalum. His classmates at Sct. Canute's Gymnasium was the first ones who introduced him to the game of Poker. Peter Eastgate is well known for beating Phil Hellmuth's title as the “Youngest Ever WSOP Main Event Champ” which he hold for two (2) years back before Joe Cada beat him.

Peter Eastgate in WSOP 2008 Main Event

ABOUT PETER EASTGATE

He also attended college. Taking the course of Economics at the University of Aarhus. But he dropped out like other players to play the game of poker full-time. Via Ladbrokes Poker site, Peter Eastgate qualified for the Main Event and traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada as part of Team Ladbrokes. He eventually reached the final table being the fourth largest stack with 18,375,000 as his starting chips just behind Scott Montgomery, Ivan Demidov and Dennis Phillips.

THE RISE OF HIS POKER CAREER

Peter Eastgate and Ivan Demidov were the last ones standing and play at the 2008 WSOP Heads-up stage. To make the story short Peter Eastgate won the a two-day long tournament after Demidov go all-in with 16.5M worth of poker chips. He just didn't won the prize money worth $9,152,416 and the most coveted WSOP bracelet but also got the title of “The Youngest Ever WSOP Main Event Champ” from it's previous holder, Phil Hellmuth.

Peter Eastgate Won $9,152,416 in WSOP

WINS AFTER 2008 WSOP MAIN EVENT

In 2007, he played at the 2007 Irish Poker Open and finish at the final table. He also won at the 2007 Paddy Power Irish Open with $46,714.

2008 in Copenhagen, he played at the 2008 European Poker Tour event and had a money finish. Cashed in the EPT Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure Main Event but won the side event with $343,000.

Adding $75,000 to his already huge bankroll, Eastgate finished 5th in the NBC National Heads-Up Championship in Las Vegas in 2009. His poker career gain him over $10,900,000 total live tournament winnings as of 2010.

PETER EASTGATE VIDEOS

Peter Eastgate: Defending WSOP Champion

2010 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship