Nationality
American
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Born (date and place of birth)
August 14, 1985 in Weston, West Virginia, United States
Residence (current location)
United States
Education (institution, specialization)
Master's degree in Business Administration and Finance from West Virginia Wesleyan College
Year started playing poker
Began playing poker seriously around 2006; live tournament participation began in 2008
Age when started playing
Started serious poker involvement at approximately 21 years old
Year turned professional
Turned professional in 2008
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
$2,150 No Limit Hold'em SCOOP event on PokerStars in 2009, winning approximately $302,000
First important tournament
Early live tournament cashes in 2008-2009, including two WSOP cashes in 2009
Main motivation for turning pro
Quit job after college to pursue poker due to passion and early online success
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Self-taught through online play, coaching, and advanced training software
Total live tournament winnings
Over $66,961,498 in live tournament earnings as of June 2025
Number of tournament wins
More than 20 titles, including multiple Triton Super High Roller events and other high roller tournaments
Number of final tables
At least 40 final tables in major live tournaments
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
$3,579,836 at 2018 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series HK$1,000,000 Short Deck event
WSOP bracelets (number)
2 (2021 $25,000 Heads-Up Championship; 2025 $50,000 High Roller)
WSOP cashes (number)
67 WSOP cashes
WSOP final tables
17 WSOP final tables
Best WSOP Main Event result
No notable top finish in WSOP Main Event documented
Super high roller results ($100K+)
Multiple seven-figure cashes including Bahamas $100,000 SHRB and Triton Super High Roller events
High roller wins ($25K-$100K)
Several wins in $25K-$100K range including WPT Alpha8 events
Online tournament winnings
SCOOP 2009 major online tournament win; online success under JAKoon1985 and NovaSky
Major online titles
SCOOP 2009 title
Poker team
Former Team PokerStars Pro; GGPoker Global Ambassador (2021-2024); currently represented by Poker Royalty
Main cash game limits
Plays at the highest stakes in both cash games and tournaments
Highest stakes played
Participated in tournaments and cash games with buy-ins and stakes up to $1,000,000 and above
Notable high stakes sessions
Known for prolonged, high-stakes sessions online and live
"Big Game" participation
Participated in high stakes "Big Game" cash games
Country ranking
One of top-ranked American live tournament players by earnings and results
All Time Money List position
Third on the All Time Money List in live tournament earnings as of mid-2025
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
Primarily No-Limit Hold'em and Short Deck poker
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Live tournaments mainly; high stakes and super high rollers predominantly
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Full ring and 8-max live; heads-up specialist in certain events
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
No-Limit Hold'em, Short Deck, Pot Limit Omaha, Turbo, Heads-Up events
Specialization limits
Specializes in high buy-in tournaments ($25,000 to $1,000,000+)
Online rooms where plays
PokerStars (JAKoon1985, NovaSky), formerly GGPoker (ambassador role)
Favorite casinos/locations
ARIA Las Vegas, Bellagio, Monte Carlo, Triton series venues
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Balanced aggressive with strong strategic, mathematical foundation
Known for bluffs/traps
Known for strategic aggression with well-timed bluffs and traps
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Highly mathematical with strong application of Game Theory Optimal (GTO)
Style adaptability
Excels in adjusting play style to opponents and formats
Playing strengths
Endurance in high-stakes tournaments, heads-up play, mixed format expertise
GTO strategy usage
Extensive use of GTO and exploitative strategies
Poker software usage
Uses poker analysis and training tools including solvers
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Triton Super High Roller broadcasted events; Poker After Dark; High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker participation (seasons/episodes)
Multiple seasons participant
Poker After Dark appearances (episodes/dates)
Featured on Poker After Dark episodes
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Featured in PokerNews, PokerListings, CardPlayer with in-depth interviews
Podcast appearances (podcast names, episode titles, dates, links)
Guest on major poker podcasts including Stacking Chips
Posting frequency in social media
Regular updates on poker results and lifestyle
Type of content in social media
Poker career highlights, tournament updates, lifestyle content
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
PokerStars Team Pro; formerly GGPoker Global Ambassador; current representation through Poker Royalty
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
GGPoker ambassador 2021-2024; long-term PokerStars Team Pro member
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
GGPoker Global Ambassador (2021-2024) with focus on player advocacy and security
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
Two WSOP bracelets; record 11 Triton Super High Roller titles; consistently among top earners globally
Records associated with name (record descriptions, verification)
Most Triton Super High Roller titles (11); among top three on all-time live tournament earnings list
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Popularized Short Deck and super high roller events; advocate for poker integrity and player representation
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Recognized as one of best high stakes tournament players of his generation with strong legacy in high roller poker
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Influential in shaping high roller tournament landscape and poker security initiatives
WSOP (World Series of Poker) - all events all years
2025-07-06 | USA | WSOP | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $50,000 High Roller | 50000 | 1st | 1,968,927 | 171 | | |||| 2021 | USA | WSOP | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $25,000 Heads-Up No Limt Hold'em | 25000 | 1st | 243,981 | | | |||| 2019 | USA | WSOP | Rio | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em - 6-Handed | 10000 | 8th | | | | |||| 2009 | USA | WSOP | Rio | $2,000 No Limit Hold'em | 2000 | ITM | 27,371 | 2 | |
WSOP Europe
2013 | Europe | WSOP Europe | | €25,600 High Roller | | Final Table | | | |
Triton Poker Series
2019 | South Korea | Triton Poker Super High Roller Series | Jeju | NLH Short Deck Ante Only | 1000000 HKD | 1st | 2,840,945 | | | |||| 2018 | Montenegro | Triton Super High Roller Series | Montenegro | Short Deck Ante Only | 1000000 HKD | 1st | 3,579,836 | 103 | | |||| 2018 | Montenegro | Triton Super High Roller Series | Montenegro | Short Deck | 1000000 HKD | 4th | 169,936 | | | |||| 2019 | London | Triton Super High Roller Series | London | £50,000 NLH 8 Handed | 50000 GBP | 2nd | 1,099,834 | |
SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker)
2009 | Online | PokerStars SCOOP | | NLHE | 2150 | 1st | 302,000 | | |
Poker After Dark
2018 | USA | Poker After Dark | | High Stakes Cash Game | | | | | |
High Stakes Poker
Participated in multiple High Stakes Poker seasons