We’re only 7 1/2 months into the year but six poker players already have over $10 million in live tournament cashes since January 1. Bryn Kenney, far and away, leads the way after his $20.5 million score at Triton London.
Hossein Ensan, winner of the WSOP Main Event, is one of the six wealthy individuals on the list. The German pro bested a field of 8,569 in July to win poker’s most prestigious event for $10 million.
Ensan became the second German world champion. Pius Heinz, the 2011 winner who has been mostly absent from poker since, was the first.
Biggest Win, Biggest Winner
Bryn Kenney broke a few records this year. First off, with his $20.5 million score in the Triton Million for second place, he surpassed Justin Bonomo as poker’s all-time winningest tournament player at $55.5 million. That runner-up finish was the largest score in tournament history. He also set a single-year earnings record at $29.8 million. And it’s only August.
Poker Players With More Than $10 Million in 2019 Cashes
- Bryn Kenney (United States) $29,822,000
- Aaron Zang (China) $16,775,820
- Stephen Chidwick (United Kindgom) $11,508,522
- Dan Smith (United States) $10,770,468
- Paul Phua (Malaysia) $10,680,700
- Hossein Ensan (Germany) $10,003,067
Zang, depending on how you look at things, was the biggest winner instead of Kenney. He actually won the Triton Million event in London but took home a smaller piece of the pie – $16.78 million – because of a heads-up chop agreement.
Chidwick, one of the most consistent high rollers ever, is the only player on the list to have won $10 million or more last year, or any previous year. The Brit finished fourth in the £1,050,000 Triton Million for $5.37 million in US dollars. He’s earned a profit of at least $1 million in three tournaments this year.
Kenney had the most massive year-to-year spike in cashes ever. He went from $5,269,000 in cashes last year to $29,822,000 this year for a $24,553,000 increase. And, again, it’s only August. We haven’t even reached the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl or Poker Masters series.
Who’s on the Cusp?
Six poker players currently have over $10 million in cashes this year. But you can rest assured they won’t be the only ones to hit that mark this year. A few others, and possibly the Super High Roller Bowl champion, are on pace to hit the eight-figure mark in 2019.
Sam Greenwood ($7.21 million), Timothy Adams ($7.16 million), and Jason Koon ($7.05 million), are all right on the cusp of the $10 million mark. Koon won $12.48 million last year and is likely to come close, or possibly exceed, that amount in 2019.
