Nationality
American
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Born (date and place of birth)
June 21, 1990 in East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Residence (current location)
Lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Education (institution, specialization)
Graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Hospitality Business (Hospitality Management)
Children (number, ages)
Has a child born around early 2019
Year started playing poker
First recorded live tournament cash in 2012
Age when started playing
Started serious poker involvement around 21-22 years old
Year turned professional
Turned professional in 2012 after winning his first major cash and then the 2013 WSOP Main Event
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
2013 World Series of Poker Main Event, winning $8,361,570
First important tournament
First major recorded tournament result was 2nd place in the 2012 WSOP Circuit Main Event in Hammond, Indiana, earning $239,063
Main motivation for turning pro
A long-term goal since age 14 to become a professional poker player; motivated by desire to compete and win the top title
Initial bankroll
Started with limited funds; first major bankroll boost after chopping a 2012 WSOP Circuit event for $270,000, which was "all the money he had to his name"
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Mainly self-taught with intensive study post-2013 win; no formal poker school education recorded
First sponsor/backing
Has never accepted or worn sponsorship patches or deals publicly; has turned down sponsorship offers
Total live tournament winnings
Over $17,455,000 in live tournament earnings as of mid-2025
Number of tournament wins
At least 2 major tournament titles: 2013 WSOP Main Event and 2017 World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale
Number of final tables
At least 15 final table appearances
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
$8,361,570 from 2013 WSOP Main Event
WSOP bracelets (number)
1 (2013 WSOP Main Event)
WSOP cashes (number)
Over 200 cashes
WSOP final tables
15 final tables
Best WSOP Main Event result
Winner, 1st place in 2013 WSOP Main Event
Online tournament winnings
Over $2 million in online poker earnings
Poker team
No public affiliation; independent player without sponsor representation
Country ranking
Among top American tournament players
All Time Money List position
Ranked within top 50 on All-Time Money List with over $17 million tournament earnings
Average tournament win
Approximately $42,000 average per cash (deduced from total cashes and winnings)
Final table percentage from cashes
Approximate final table percentage of about 7.4% (15 final tables from 205 WSOP cashes)
Statistics by year (best/worst year)
Peak year 2013 with WSOP Main Event win; significant earnings in 2017 and consistent cashes through 2024-2025
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
No-Limit Hold'em specialist
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Focuses on live tournament play with some online tournament activity
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Prefers full ring and six-max formats typical of main tournaments
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
No-Limit Hold'em primarily
Specialization limits
Mid to high buy-in limits ($1,000 up to $50,000+ buy-ins)
Online rooms where plays
Known to play on PokerStars and other major online platforms
Favorite casinos/locations
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino (WSOP venue), Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (WPT)
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Calm and strategic, aggressive heads-up play; balanced TAG (tight-aggressive) player
Known for bluffs/traps
Uses selective aggression and well-timed bluffs; reputation for applying pressure heads-up
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Combines mathematical strategy with competitive intuition
Style adaptability
Known for adjusting to opponents but has acknowledged challenges with unconventional plays post-main event win
Playing strengths
Heads-up play, chip accumulation, pressure tactics, disciplined tournament strategy
GTO strategy usage
Uses game theory optimal concepts; studies modern poker theory intensively
Poker software usage
Utilizes poker software tools for analysis and training
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Appeared on WSOP broadcasts, ESPN coverage of WSOP Main Event and WPT events
High Stakes Poker participation (seasons/episodes)
No documented participation in High Stakes Poker
Poker After Dark appearances (episodes/dates)
No recorded Poker After Dark appearances
Documentary films featuring (titles and links)
Featured in WSOP documentary coverage of Main Event
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Multiple interviews with PokerListings, ESPN Poker, and PokerNews
Podcast appearances (podcast names, episode titles, dates, links)
Appeared on several poker podcasts including Poker Central
Posting frequency in social media
Moderate social media posting, mostly updates and personal milestones on Twitter
Type of content in social media
Personal updates, poker-related news, family milestones
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
None current publicly
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
Declined sponsorship offers to maintain independence
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
None
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
2013 WSOP Main Event Champion, 2017 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale Champion, multiple high cash finishes at major international events
Records associated with name (record descriptions, verification)
Youngest player to win a WSOP Main Event since Joe Cada (2010) at that period; over $17 million in career live earnings
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Promoted professionalism and dedication to poker as a career; known for strategic heads-up play
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Remembered for his 2013 WSOP Main Event victory and sustained presence in professional poker over the past decade
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Demonstrated the viability of combining solid academic background with top-level poker success
WSOP (World Series of Poker) - all events all years
2025 | USA | World Series of Poker | Online | $400 No-Limit Hold'em | $400 | 366 | $794 | | | |||| 2025 | USA | World Series of Poker | | $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight Max | $1,000 | 30 | $8,282 | | | |||| 2025 | USA | World Series of Poker | | $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight Max | $5,000 | 11 | $37,089 | | |
EPT (European Poker Tour) - all seasons
2019 | Monaco | European Poker Tour | Monte Carlo | Main Event | | 4 | $403,299 | | | |||| 2018 | Spain | European Poker Tour | Barcelona | No Limit Hold'em | €50,000 | 4 | $403,299 | | |
WSOP Europe
2018 | France | WSOP Europe | | Main Event | €10,350 | 4 | $388,445 | | |
US Poker Open
2019 | USA | U.S. Poker Open | #09 No Limit Hold'em | $52,000 | 2 | $492,000 | | |