Nationality
American
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Born (date and place of birth)
August 25, 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Residence (current location)
Malibu, California, USA
Education (institution, specialization)
Bachelor's degree from State University of New York at Albany; studied entertainment law at UCLA
Year started playing poker
2005
Age when started playing
Approximately 35-36 years old
Year turned professional
2005
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
April 25, 2005, $200 + 25 No Limit Hold’em at Stars & Stripes Los Angeles, winning $54,225
Who introduced to poker / first mentor
Johnny Chan, two-time WSOP Main Event champion
First important tournament
First recorded major tournament win in 2005; early tournament entries prior not widely documented
Main motivation for turning pro
Inspired by poker champions (notably Johnny Chan), attracted to poker challenge and crossover with entertainment industry
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Learned through mentorship from Johnny Chan and self-study; no formal poker schooling reported
First sponsor/backing
Bodog.com in 2006 during WSOP Main Event campaign
Total live tournament winnings
Approximately $12,592,641 in live tournament earnings
Number of tournament wins
At least 2 (2005 Stars & Stripes, 2006 WSOP Main Event)
Number of final tables
Multiple, including WSOP 2006 Main Event final table
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
$12,000,000 - 2006 WSOP Main Event
WSOP bracelets (number)
1 (2006 Main Event)
WSOP cashes (number)
At least 11 cashes
WSOP final tables
1 (2006 Main Event final table)
Best WSOP Main Event result
1st place at 2006 WSOP Main Event
Poker team
Formerly Team Bodog (2006)
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
No-Limit Hold'em
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Live tournament play specialist
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Full ring tables (standard tournament format)
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
No-Limit Hold'em
Favorite casinos/locations
Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles), Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas)
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Aggressive, psychological, frequent table talk and mind games
Known for bluffs/traps
Known for psychological bluffing and table manipulation
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Combination of aggression, psychology, and endurance
Style adaptability
Uses psychological tactics to adjust to opponents
Playing strengths
Psychological manipulation, chip accumulation, endurance
GTO strategy usage
Not primarily known for GTO; play focused on psychological warfare
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Featured in over 150 hours of poker TV and documentaries on GSN, MTV, ABC
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Featured in PokerNews, PokerListings, CardPlayer and other poker media outlets
Posting frequency in social media
Active social media presence with regular engagement
Type of content in social media
Poker strategy, personal updates, philanthropy, sports betting insights
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
Bodog.com (ended 2007); Brand Ambassador for Rithmm since 2025
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
Bodog.com (2006-2007)
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
Brand Ambassador and Strategic Advisor for Rithmm (from 2025)
Own business (business names, descriptions, websites)
JMG Management talent agency; TV production work
Poker publication articles (publication names, article titles, publication dates, links)
Numerous interviews and feature articles in major poker publications
Conference speaking (conference names, dates, topics, video links)
Speaker at poker and sports betting industry events
Poker scandal involvement (scandal names, details, outcomes)
Lawsuit over verbal agreement to share winnings; WSOP etiquette controversies during final table
Legal proceedings (case details, outcomes, court documents)
Lawsuit by Crispin Leyser regarding sharing of winnings, later settled
Tournament rule violations (tournament names, violations, penalties)
Violated WSOP rules by discussing hand and showing card at final table, prompted WSOP rule changes
Poker community criticism (specific criticisms, responses)
Criticized for table talk and verbal antics; sharing winnings dispute harmed reputation
Response to criticism (statements, actions taken)
Issued public apology for etiquette breaches; described disputes as misunderstandings later settled
Poker industry awards (award names, years, organizations)
2006 WSOP Main Event Champion
Peer recognition (specific recognitions, award details)
Known for record-breaking WSOP win and psychological playing style
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
Largest WSOP Main Event win by prize money at time (2006); record-setting 8,773 entrants
Records associated with name (record descriptions, verification)
Held record for largest WSOP Main Event prize in history at time of 2006 victory
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Influenced WSOP rules on player communication; pioneered psychological tactics in tournaments
Charity tournaments (tournament names, amounts raised, beneficiaries)
Involved in philanthropy raising over $500 million for various charities including ALS Association and children’s causes
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Remembered as an iconic, controversial WSOP champion who brought strong psychological tactics to poker
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Influenced WSOP policy on table talk; raised profile of poker psychological strategy
WSOP (World Series of Poker) - all events all years
2006-07-17 | USA | WSOP | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10000 | 1st | 12000000 | 8773 | | |||| 2015-06 | USA | WSOP | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | 1500 | 5th | 120952 | | |
EPT (European Poker Tour) - all seasons
2007-09 | UK | WSOP Europe | Casino at the Empire | £10,350 Main Event | 10350 | | £27,150 | | |
WSOP Europe
2007-09 | UK | WSOP Europe | Casino at the Empire | £10,350 Main Event | 10350 | | £27,150 | | |
WSOP Circuit events
2016-03 | USA | WSOP Circuit | Bicycle Casino | $1,675 No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 1675 | 2nd | 139,820 | | |
Provided commentary on 2006 WSOP Main Event final table