Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson, known as Texas Dolly, is one of the best known poker players of all time. Born in Longworth, Texas in 1933, Doyle was quite an athlete in his younger years. A member of the All-State Texas basketball team and a keen runner, he managed a mile in 4:43 in the 1950 Texas Interscholastic Track Meet. He was offered several college offers, but decided to attend university in Abeline since it was close to home. The Minneapolis Lakersbasketball team were interested in him as a player, but unfortunately a knee injury forced him to stop playing.
Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen, nicknamed “The Great Dane” is a very exciting Danish poker player who lives in Monaco. Before turning to poker, Hansen was a world class backgammon player, and a youth tennis champion. He is a true gambler, and takes private bets on a wide range of sporting activities and challenges outside of poker.
David Sklansky
David Sklansky, known as “The Mathematician” is a great poker player, and an even better poker author. Born in New Jersey in 1947, Sklansky graduated from high school and then attended the University of Pensylvania, but never graduated. Instead he returned home and got a job as as actuary, and started on the road to being a professional gambler.
Scotty Nguyen
Thuan B. “Scotty” Nguyen, often called “The Prince Of Poker” or simply “The Train” is a Vietnamese player, born in Nha Trang in 1962 and moving to America with his family at the age of 14. He has had an incredible poker career, winning five WSOP gold bracelets and titles including the 1998 main event, and the 2008 HORSE World Championship. He is also the first and only player to win both the mein event and $50,000 HORSE event at the World Series.
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu, known as “Kid Poker” is a young and exciting poker player. Born in Toronton in 1974, his parents were originally from Romania and moved to the USA in the late sixties. As a teenager, Daniel wanted to become a professional snooker player, but learned to play poker when he was 15. At 16 he was failing school and dropped out to become a rounder, making a living hustling and playing cards in the local pool halls and charity casinos.
Dave Ulliott
David A Ulliott, known as The Devilfish, is one of the UK’s best known poker players. Born 4th April 1954, he is a best known for his aggressive look at the poker tables, wearing his signature gold rings and orange tinted shades. He’s a jeweller by trade, and made his signature “knuckleduster” gold rings himself, the one on his left fingers saying “Devil” and the one on his right saying “Fish”.
Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson, known simply as “Jesus”, was born April 11th 1963. He’s won five World Series Of Poker bracelets inlcuding the main event title in 2000, and also the 2008 National Heads Up Poker Championship.
Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan, known as the Oriental Express, was born in China in 1957, moving to the US with his family in 1968. He was studying at the University of Houston when he made the decision to become a professional poker player, dropped out of university and moved to Las Vegas. He is best known for winning theWSOP main event back to back in 1987 and 1988.
Howard Lederer
Howard Lederer, known as “The Professor” and brother of pro player Annie Duke, is a well known and well respected player. Born on October 30th 1964, Lederer was a talented chess player when he was a young, and it was while playing in a chess club at Columbia University that he was introduced to poker.
Phil Hellmuth Jr
Phil Hellmuth Jr is best known for two things – his “Poker Brat” personality, and his exceptional skill at the table which has won him 11 World Series Of Poker bracelets andinduction to the Poker Hall Of Fame.
