Poker is undeniably the most-played card game in the world. Each season the biggest tournaments like the World Series of Poker are televised, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the action from all parts of the globe. The colossal sums of money played in these games, and the poker personalities that take part are reasons why the events attract spectators and fans year after year.
Some of these professional players started honing their skills over five decades ago, giving them ample time to become the supreme high rolling legends they are today. Others entered the world of poker much later but were naturally born with the gift of the gab, allowing them to make their fortunes in the space of a few years or even months.
With that in mind, here are the world’s richest poker players ranked by their enormous net worths in 2020.
Dan Bilzerian
Dan Bilzerian may be one of poker’s most controversial icons, but he is also the wealthiest card player on earth. It’s not entirely known how he accumulated his $200 million-dollar fortune (there are some pretty far-fetched theories), but what is certain is that the majority was earned fair and square through years of poker matches he’s won around the world. Bilzerian is also a part-time actor and is one of the biggest online poker influencers of the digital age — suggesting that his net worth may be much more than $200m as of 2020.
Phil Ivey
When you hear someone mention the World Series of Poker, the first name people associate with the event is 10-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey. Deemed by many as the world’s best WSOP player, Ivey has competed in the finals nine times but has only ever won a WSOP once. Nevertheless, experts at HighStakesDB believe his WSOP success combined with winnings earned from Full Tilt and PokerStars brings his net worth up to around $100 million.
Sam Farha
Nicknamed “Mister Cool” in the poker world, Sam Farha has participated in six finals of the World Series of Poker, finishing as a close runner-up in 2003. Farha is from Lebanon and is also on the top list as one of the world’s richest players, valued at over $100m. Contrary to belief, Sam Farha’s poker skills aren’t just limited to games of Texas Hold ’em — most of his earnings have come from winning games of free-hand Omaha!
Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson, aka “Jesus” earned his holy nickname because of his signature looks. He’s also gone down as one of the most successful WSOP players in the history books, winning six finals in the World Series of Poker and earning a collective total of over $3 million from these games alone. As of 2020, he’s said to be sitting on a fortune worth well over $80 million. Regardless of how talented he may be at poker, Ferguson is also considered one of the world’s best card throwers. He’s known to throw cards with such speed and force that they’ve sliced through melons!
Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson, also known as “Texas Dolly” is one of the best and most notorious professional poker players of all time. Prior to his retirement in 2018, he accrued a fortune of more than $75 million dollars since beginning his career. After winning two main events and ten WSOP bracelets, he secured himself a spot in the Poker Hall of Fame. Brunson also has a card hand named after him and has published several poker-related books that have augmented his wealth and reputation as a celebrity in the gambling industry even further.
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu has received a lot of attention from the industry over the years. He is a two-time WSOP champion and has won six bracelets throughout his career, making him one of the most notorious players in the tournament’s history so far. Aside from his poker profession, Negreanu has also released a few poker videogames in partnership with Sony. According to the Global Poker Index (GPI), he is ranked the world’s best poker player of the millennium and has a net worth of about $50 million.
Erik Seidel
With a winning WSOP title under his belt and eight bracelets, Erik “Sly” Seidel is a poker player from the U.S. deemed as a force to be reckoned with in competitions. When he’s out of the limelight, he prefers a private and simple life where he can spend time with his wife and two daughters. Seidel earned his place in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010, and today stands as one of the most esteemed players in the history of the World Series. In 2020, he is said to be worth almost 42 million dollars.
Justin Bonomo
Justin Bonomo is another player who has wowed the world with his poker skills in the past. Though he’s never won a WSOP title, he’s won three bracelets and made 19 of the final tables. Last year, Bonomo, aka, “ZeeJustin” is believed to have won a staggering $49,508,778 in poker winnings. Bonomo also holds onto the record as the youngest player to have ever been featured in a televised online poker competition when he took part in the 2005 EPT French Open — at just 19 years old!
Fedor Holz
Aged just 27, Federal Holz is one of the youngest and richest poker players in German history. The high roller has won one WSOP bracelet and been ranked as the best online player in MTT by Pocketfives.com. Holz has also made it to the final tables in the WSOP on three separate occasions. Despite his success in these competitions, his real strengths lie in the online poker world. In 2014, he won the World Championship of Online Poker for $1.3m, then just 15 months later, another $3,500,000 in the Triton Super High Roller tournament. Since then, he has competed in different poker games multiple times and has accumulated a whopping $32.5m in tournament winnings.
Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari was a well-known magician before he found his place in the poker world and became one of the best players ever to take part in the World Series. Even though he hasn’t yet won the main event, Esfarandiari has won three bracelets. He’s also had some of the most epic finishes in the history of the World Poker Tour. In 2012, he took part in a tournament and walked away with over $18 million in winnings, making him the winner of one of the largest money prize pools in history. To date, he is said to be worth around $27 million.
