The biggest poker winnings

Millions of people are passionate about the game of poker. Only for some, the pastime is perceived as entertainment with the possibility of winning, while for others it becomes a way of life and a desire to demonstrate their superiority in terms of gaming and intellect.

The most prestigious unofficial series of poker tournaments in the world is the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), with a total prize pool of $225 million.

WSOP Top Ten Winners

10th place

2013. American Ryan Riess won the top prize of $8,361,570 and invested it in Disney, Apple and Facebook stock. This has ensured his annual payout and a comfortable existence.

9th place

2012. The US resident Greg Meerson, who devoted a lot of time to studying gaming nuances, tactics and strategy, also received more than 8 million dollars. The winner bought himself new clothes, spent part of the money on closed tournaments, and the rest went to family needs.

8th place

2009. Joe Cada, an American citizen, won $8,547,042 in online poker with sponsor money. After recouping the sum of investment, the young man bought a real estate in Las Vegas and opened his own business.

7th place

2011. Pius Heinz from Germany made a profit of USD 8,715,638. The 22-year-old was a lucky man who preferred online tournaments and was considered a successful player. The series in Las Vegas brought him $80,000, which he invested in the main tournament. After his big win, Heinz continued to play at the online tables.

6th place

2010. Canadian representative, Jonathan Duhamel had an insane passion for poker and hockey. After winning $8,944,310, he donated $100,000 to charity. Remarkably, Jonathan’s lover took offence at the insignificant gifts and set burglars on his flat. The winner’s stolen bracelet, name watch and the rest of the prize money were returned to the owner.

5th place

2008. Danish poker player Peter Eastgate wins $9,152,416. Poker fans were disappointed by the lack of emotion expected from such a lucky winner. But Peter just didn’t know enough English and was exhausted from the long final battle.

4th place

2014. The $10,000,000 main event win was won by Swede Martin Jacobson. Today he lives in London and is trying to pull off another impressive haul.

3rd place

2006. $12,000,000 went to the US native, who has had incredible luck throughout the tournament. However, Jamie Gold had to share the money with his sponsors.

2nd place

2014. Daniel Coleman’s prize was $15,306,668. The American got the money through a brutal showdown with celebrity poker player Daniel Negreanu.

1st place

2012. The American resident was lucky enough to win a record poker prize of $18,346,873, which has not been beaten to this day. Antonio Esfandiari was fourth in chips on the first day, but managed to become chip leader on the second day and defeated Sam Trickett in the decider.