Welcome again poker people !

Today I’ll continue with the next five players out of my list as I’m preparing for the WBCOOP Main Event tonight. I’ll report about it in a couple of days but I’m more than satisfied right now with already three tickets in the pocket. I’m also going to insert a brand new poll on my site, so let me know who do you think should be my number one or is the most Famous Poker Player for you. I’ll give you a choice between ten players. Those are also my absolute top-Ten, so you have a little idea than about where the list is going to. But for now I’m going to start with number 30…

(30)   =>   ANNIE   DUKE

> Anne LaBarr Lederer

> born 13/09/1965 in Concord, New Hampshire (USA).

> lives now in Los Angeles, California and has 4 children.

> Nickname : ‘ The Duchess of Poker ‘

> won 1 Bracelet (’04 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or better)

> was 10th in the 2000 WSOP Main Event

> is the sister of  ‘ The Professor ‘ , Howard Lederer.

> plays online at UltimateBet

> has Live Tournament Winnings of $ 3,700,000 (until 2009).

She studied psycholinguistics until 1992, when she decided to play poker full time, with the support and knowledge of her brother Howard. Annie is an excellent tournament player, which she showed in 2004 when she won the WSOP Tournament of Champions. She was eight months pregnant when she became 10th in the 2000 WSOP Main Event, the year that Chris ‘ Jesus’ Ferguson won. She holds the women’s record for the most money finishes in the WSOP, 37 cashes. She won the WSO Rock, Paper and Scissors in 2006, hosted by Phil Gordon where she received a free entry for that year’s WSOP Main Event. Annie ranked 2nd on the Women’s All Time Money List, after Kathy Liebert. Annie is also well-known for her TV appearances in different shows such as 1 vs. 100, Deal or No Deal, Poker After Dark and Celebrity Apprentice. She’s a very multifunctional woman, always having a very active life besides her four children. She was the tutor of actor Ben Affleck, she raises money for different charities, she writes about poker in articles and her autobiography and she’s a teacher at the WSOP Poker Academy. Annie Duke is wildly considered as the best female poker player in the world.

(29)   =>   MEN   NGUYEN

> born in 1954, Phan Thiet (VIET).

> resides now in Bell Gardens, California (USA).

> Nickname : ‘ The Master ‘

> won 6 Bracelets (’92 Seven-card Stud/ ‘95 Seven-card Stud Hi-Lo/ ‘95 Limit Hold’em/ ‘96 Omaha Hi-Lo/ ‘03 Seven-card Stud/ ‘03 A-5 Triple Draw Lowball)

> became 4th in the 1996 WSOP Main Event, when Huck Seed was the winner.

> won about $ 9,200,000 in Live Tournament Play (until 2009).

He left school in Vietnam at the age of 13 and became a bus driver to support his family. Men came to the USA in 1978 and played poker for the first time in 1984. He lost a lot in his first years of playing until he won his first tournament in 1987. Men Nguyen became one of the best tournament players alive. He has 65 cashes in the WSOP, he made 4 final tables at the World Poker Tour and he already won more than 75 tournaments in his poker career. He always donates a portion of his winnings to different charities in Vietnam. He’s also well-known for tutoring other poker players, mostly form Asia such as David Pham. Men was the Card Player Magazine Player of the Year in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2005, so four times !!! There were some allegations against him about Nguyen’s possible involvement with tournament cheating, but nothing has been proven yet.  He likes to smoke and drink  and isn’t always a true gentleman at the table, as he spit beer over the table one time.

(28)   =>   DAVID   ULLIOTT

> born 04/04/1954, Hull (ENG).

> still resides there in Kingston upon Hull.

> was married for two times and has a total of 7 children.

> Nickname : ‘ Devilfish ‘ or ‘ The Clock ‘

> won 1 Bracelet (’97 PL Hold’em)

> won 1 WPT-title (Jack Binion’s World Poker Open)

> is the highest-earning British poker player in the circuit.

> plays online at his own site DevilfishPoker

> has Live Tournament Winnings of almost $ 5,700,000 (until 2009)

He likes to wear orange-tinted prescription sunglasses and gold knockleduster rings reading ‘ Devil ‘ and ‘ Fish’. David was a real thief between the age of 19 and 28 with several armed robberies, fights and safe-cracks. He spent a couple of years in prison until he met his wife and he went straight. He travelled across England in the 90’s with his good friend Gary Whitaker and made a lot of money in different cash games, often wearing a gun to be sure he got his winnings. Gary also has given David’s Nickname ‘Devilfish’ during a heads-up battle between Ulliott and Men Nguyen. He’s a special poker player, but a very good and respected one. He won the first serie of Late Night Poker, the first poker show to use hole cam technology. He played in different Tv shows such as Poker Nations Cup, British Poker Open and Party Poker Premier League.

(27)   =>   JOE   HACHEM

> Joseph Hachem

> born 11/03/1966, Lebanon.

> resides now in Melbourne (AUS), with wife Jeanie and 4 kids.

> Nickname : ‘ Diamond Joe ‘

> winner of the WSOP Main Event in 2005.

> won 1 WPT-title (’06 Five Diamons Poker Classic)

> ranked 6th on the All Time Tournament Money List

> plays online at PokerStars as member of TeamPokerStars.

> has Live Tournament Winnings of over $10,800,000 (until 2009)

Joe moved to Melbourne, Australia at the age of six. He started to play poker in 1995 after he couldn’t continue his job as a chiropractor because of a rare blood disorder that affected his hands. Hachem is very well-known as a player of great grace and class, being an excellent tournament player. His big victory was of course his win as a world champion at the WSOP Main Event. He won $7,500,000 with that win after he beated Steve Dannenmann in heads-up play.  Joe was the first Australian to win the Main Event and his victory was followed by a big poker boost in his home country Australia. Joe has been associated with the famous phrases : ” Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi ” and ” Pass the Sugar” after winning a pot. Besides that he won some other tournaments such as the 2007 PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour Tournament of Champions and one Poker After Dark title. He appeared in Poker Superstars III and the fifth season of High Stakes Poker where he proved that he’s no fear to play in the big cash games. He also produced his own reality show, ‘ The Poker Star ‘ where he’s the poker mentor for a group of contestants with finally one winner. Joe operates a mortgage company, enjoys playing golf and is good friends with fellow poker pro Greg Raymer.

(26)   =>   DAVID   BENYAMINE

> born 05/07/1972, Paris (FRA)

> resides now in Henderson, Nevada (USA) and in France.

> engaged with fellow poker pro Erica Schoenberg and has one daughter.

> Nickname : ‘ Napoleon ‘ or ‘ Degenyamine ‘

> won 1 Bracelet (’08 Omaha Hi-Low Split)

> won 1 WPT-title (’03 Grand Prix de Paris)

> plays online at Full Tilt Poker as a sponsored Pro.

> has Live Tournament Earnings of almost $ 3,500,000.

David is a former professional tennis player but he had to retire because of a shoulder injury. Besides tennis, he’s also a very successful top ten billiards player in France. He learned the game of poker when he was just 12 years old. He was departed from the USA during 2004 for not having a work permit. Despite of his excellent tournament results, reaching 3 WPT final tables and winning the WPT Battle of Champions II invitational event and one Poker After Dark title, Mister Benyamine is more known as a marvellous and fearless cash game player who plays at the Highest Stakes in Las Vegas and online and likes to gamble. He showed that in different seasons of High Stakes Poker and Million Dollar Cash Game. He’s also well-known as a Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) specialist. He has never read a poker book or magazine and his fiancee Erica has played in a featured strip poker game.

I’m still in the WBCOOP right now, reaching the last 200 players so I’m going to play further now. Wish me luck and see you again soon !!!!

J.M.

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