theEveryone knows a poker player who they consider to be a true grinder. A player who seems to rack up cashes at every stop of every live poker festival. One of those faces that is part of the fixture and fitting at their casino.
These players are not near the top of the all-time winnings lists, they top a different list, a grinder’s list. The 10 live poker tournament players you are about to read about have 3,946 cashes between them. They are incredible poker players who deserve some time in the limelight.
1.) John Anthony Cernuto: 505 cashes
John “Miami” Cernuto is the player who has cashed in the most live poker tournaments, an incredible 505 cashes. Cernuto’s resume dates back to January 1987 with his last cash being on August 8th this year.
The Omaha Hi-Lo specialist is now 75-years old but is showing no signs of slowing down. Cernuto now has three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and $5,919,873 in earnings despite his largest cash being for $259,150. A true legend of the game.
2.) Men Nguyen: 494
Men “The Master” Nguyen’s 494 cashes rank him second in this list. Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American, has won more than 90 tournaments, including seven WSOP bracelets. “The Master” has amassed $11,015,792 in winnings during his career but has sadly gained a reputation for angle-shooting and underhand tactics too.
3.) Randy Holland: 443
Randy Holland is the best poker player you have never heard of. The Canadian has cashed in 443 tournaments and won $3,605,026 from a biggest score of $177,460. Holland has two WSOP bracelets to his name. He won the first in 1996 and added to it in 2000 in a $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo event.
4.) T.J. Cloutier: 400
T.J. Cloutier
T.J Cloutier is one of the old school Texan gamblers who still frequent poker rooms aged 79-years old. Cloutier has been the runner-up in the WSOP Main Event twice, once in 1985 and in 2000. He has managed to win six bracelets, the last coming in 2005.
The Texan has reached the money places 400 times and has earned $10,439,712. Rumor has it that Cloutier has probably spent as much at the craps table that he’s earned.
5.) Dan Heimiller: 383
Dan Heimiller’s 383 cashes place him fifth in the list of all-time cashes. Those 383 in-the-money finishes have banked Heimiller $6,338,693 and a largest cash of $627,462. Heimiller’s largest cash was his reward for winning his second WSOP bracelet in 2014 in the $1,000 Senior’s event.
Only 20 of Heimiller’s incredible number of cashes stem from play outside the United States. The Michigan native loves playing on home soil and is considered one of the best all-round players of his generation.
6.) David Levi: 369
David Levi
Tel Aviv, Israel is where David Levi hails from but it is in the United States that he made his name. Levi saw a professional soccer career cut short by a knee injury, but it allowed him to embark on a professional poker career instead.
Levi has since cashed in 369 events and has won $4,021,711 as a result. A bracelet still eludes Levi, although he has come close to winning one on numerous occasions. Two third-place finishes are the best Levi has mustered at the WSOP, surely his time will come.
7.) Kathy Liebert: 345
Kathy Liebert of Nashville, Tennessee is the only female poker player to make it into this top 10. Liebert has navigated her way into the money in 345 tournaments although she’s not won one since 2013. She does have a WSOP bracelet to her name and a cool $6,312,267 in winnings. Plus Liebert can boast of winning the first-ever Limit Hold’em tournament to feature a $1 million top prize.
8.) Allen Kessler: 344
Allen Kessler is a mainstay on the US poker circuit, seemingly turning up to almost every scheduled event. Kessler loves the WSOP and WSOP Circuit events. He’s not yet won a WSOP bracelet, but he has accumulated three circuit rings. His 344 cashes have yielded $3,841,315 in winnings.
He is affectionately known as “Chainsaw” and loves to play penny slots and video poker, often tweeting about large wins. Kessler always looks to improve the blind and payout structure of events, with good tournaments labeled “Chainsaw Approved.”
9.) Alan Myerson: 333
Alan Myerson
You are forgiven for having not heard of Alan Myerson as his resume is void of massive wins. The Sherman Oaks, California native has managed to win $1,358,095 from an impressive 333 cashes.
Low-to-mid stakes tournaments are Myerson’s specialty with his best result being a victory in a $540 event for $69,608.
10.) Hieu Ngoc Ma: 330
Hieu Ngoc Ma, known as Tony Ma, completes our top 10 all-time live poker tournament cashes list. Ma hails from Vietnam, like Men Nguyen a few places above him, but moved to Southern California in 1985. “The Animal” became a regular on the poker circuit and has so far cashed 330 times.
He has two WSOP bracelet, the last coming in 2000 for $367,040, his third-largest cash. The largest weighed in a $435,980 helping Ma climb to a winning total of $4,645,386.
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Matthew Pitt
If it’s something you can play online for real money, chances are Matthew knows a bit about it. He’s been writing about slots, craps and poker for the better part of the last decade. He’s written for PokerNews, PartyPoker and many other respected online gambling websites during the last nine years.