There are expert match poker execs in every single place from the Pacific to the Atlantic, in all U.S. states (even Nebraska, surprisingly). However there’s one state that has produced the most important amount of superstars, and it would shock you a bit.
Figuring out which state tops the charts relies on a couple of elements, principally utilizing The Hendon Mob outcomes, and likewise taking into account World Collection of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and different main match victories.
Just one state has at the least 10 gamers who’ve reached $10 million in lifetime cashes. This identical state’s high 10 earners embrace 5 of the highest 10 excessive rollers on the planet right now, two Poker Corridor of Famers, and at the least six others who will probably in the future attain the PHOF.
Editor’s Observe: Participant dwelling states are based mostly on their Hendon Mob profile, not the place they at present reside. For instance, Daniel Negreanu, a Canadian, will not be included among the many Nevada execs regardless of having lived in Las Vegas for many years. The Hendon Mob solely lists cashes and would not embrace general income and losses. As such, it’s inconceivable to keep away from some subjectivity, however Hendon’s rankings function a great tool.
Shut However No Cigar
The most important states, reminiscent of California and Florida, have a tendency to supply extra expertise than others. One exception to that rule is Nevada, after all, on condition that the Silver State is dwelling to Las Vegas, the de facto playing capital of the U.S.
However Nevada, dwelling to the WSOP and many of the largest excessive curler tournaments within the U.S., is the runner-up. There are 9 Nevadans with over $10 million in The Hendon Mob cashes, led by Dan Smith, who’s seventh all time with simply over $60 million in cashes.
Smith has an virtually insurmountable lead over the competitors, with six-time WSOP bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus in second place, posting $27.9 million in earnings. Many different match legends reside in Nevada (or beforehand did), together with Antonio Esfandiari, Scotty Nguyen, Allen Cunningham, Mike Matusow, and Ted Forrest, simply to call a couple of.
Nevada is not the one state with a robust case as the perfect within the nation. You possibly can add Florida, Texas, California, and New Jersey to the listing of states which have produced a plethora of superstars and Corridor of Famers.
California actually has an argument to be thought of the deepest state for match poker. Legends of the sport, reminiscent of Barry Greenstein, Brian Rast, Johnny Chan, and Chris Ferguson hail from the Golden State. These 4 gamers alone have mixed for 26 WSOP bracelets and one WSOP Principal Occasion title (Ferguson in 2000).
However there is not a participant from California who has cracked $30 million in match cashes, and Rast is the one professional from the state who could be thought of among the many high 10-15 match performers over the previous decade.
Texas would not have the depth you may count on from a state with over 31 million residents. Doug Polk checks in fourth in Texas match poker historical past with $10.5 million in cashes, and he is not a lot of a match participant, and possibly should not even be thought of a Texan, given he is solely lived there for a couple of years.
New Jersey has Phil Ivey, arguably the best poker participant of all time. However there is a vital drop off after Ivey, though there are many different crushers from NJ.
And the Winner Is…
We have buried this lengthy sufficient, and now it is time to reveal the reply to the query — which state has produced the perfect match poker expertise? New York. That is the reply.
New York is dwelling to the Yankees, Broadway, Buffalo wings, extreme butt dialing (critically, look it up), the Statue of Liberty, and the perfect match poker gamers on the planet. Sure, all the world.
Bryn Kenney, a Lengthy Seaside native, has racked up extra cashes than anybody ever — $78,739,828. The high-stakes crusher is considered one of three New Yorkers with over $50 million in cashes, greater than any state. Isaac Haxton ($60,648,098) and Alex Foxen ($53,359,046), each future Poker Corridor of Famers, are extensively thought of among the many high 10 match gamers on the planet right now.
Sitting in fourth place on New York’s all-time listing is poker legend Erik Seidel ($48,336,612), one of the vital well-known poker gamers ever. Seidel is tied with Ivey for second place with 11 WSOP bracelets.
Proper behind the 1988 WSOP Principal Occasion runner-up is Scott Seiver, who probably will not be ready for much longer to get the Poker Corridor of Fame name. Seiver, additionally a revered high-stakes money sport grinder, has seven WSOP bracelets and gained the 2024 WSOP Participant of the 12 months award. He completed second to Rast in 2015 on the $500,000 buy-in Tremendous Excessive Curler Bowl, a career-best $5,160,000 rating.
New York’s match expertise would not cease there. Jesse Lonis, maybe the highest high-stakes match professional on the planet proper now, has already racked up $26,358,441 in cashes at age 30. After which there’s 2025 Poker Corridor of Fame inductee Nick Schulman ($24,778,414), poker legend Andrew Lichtenberger ($23,668,035), eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Shaun Deeb ($17,345,739), and excessive curler Dan Shak ($14,365,203).
This is the present high 10 cashes leaderboard for New York:
The Empire State owns most of the largest winners ever and has loads of depth. No different state can match New York’s mixture of high quality and amount. The highest 10 earners within the state have collected a median of 4.1 WSOP gold bracelets.
New York has 13 gamers with over $10 million in cashes, and Olivier Busquet, Joey Weissman, and Jared Bleznick are all lower than $1 million away from becoming a member of that group.
