In 1971, the World Series of Poker paid out $30,000 to the winner, Johnny Moss. For poker, still in its infancy as a sport, it must have felt substantial. Calculating for inflation, it would be equivalent to around $230,000.
The WSOP offered up the first million-dollar prize to the 1991 Main Event winner. Such a large number was impressive back then and Main Event winners received the same $1,000,000 for the next eight years.
Chris Ferguson won $1,500,000 in the 2000 Main Event, marking a major increase, but it was quickly dwarfed. For Chris Moneymaker's 2003 win, it was up to $2,500,000 for 1st. The next year it reached $5,000,000, then $7,500,000, and in 2006 the the 1st place prize was $12,000,000 – the first eight-figure Main Event cash in history. Jamie Gold's winnings that year were the second-largest ever awarded in the Main, only edged out by Daniel Weinman's $12,100,000 victory last year.
The World Series of Poker and other international live series have made several players instant multi-millionaires. Today we'll look at the top five cashes in poker history, with context for each one.
1. $20,563,324 – Bryn Kenney (USA)
– Triton Million for Charity (2019)
The Triton Million for Charity was a groundbreaking poker tournament with a £1,050,000 buy-in (around $1,400,000), the largest in history. Of that, £50,000 was earmarked for one of fifteen charities, totaling £2.7 million. With such a large entry price, the field was guaranteed to be limited to those with deep bankrolls and optimistic backers.
It took place in London and featured a unique format with 27 recreational players and 27 professionals. Despite finishing second to Aaron Zang, Kenney took home the largest prize due to a heads-up deal when he held a significant chip lead. When the calculations were wrapped up, Kenney was awarded $20,563,324 for 2nd, while Aaron Zang took $16,775,820 for 1st place. However, after the deal was made, Aaron Zang found a way to overcome the 4-to-1 chip difference and win. The title was his, but only 2nd place prize money.
In the final hand, Aaron opened on the button and Bryn called with . Zang covered Bryn, but only by a few million of the 50-or-so in play. The flop came , Zang bet a little under pot, and Bryn raised around 2.5x, becoming very pot-committed. Zang shoved and was unsurprisingly called, but he held with a and runout.
Kenney's chop deal catapulted him to the top of poker's all-time money list, surpassing Justin Bonomo. For perspective, only around 50 players have surpassed $20 million in live poker tournaments. In a single event, Bryn Kenney won more than the live career earnings of almost every other poker player, except those 50.
2. $18,346,673 – Antonio Esfandiari (USA)
– The Big One for One Drop (2012)
The inaugural 2012 Big One for One Drop was the first time a $1 million buy-in event had been seen in public. It attracted 48 players, creating a massive prize pool for a field no larger than an online multi-table Sit-and-Go. To create such a spectacular event, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté had partnered with the World Series of Poker. Buy-ins were huge, but so were the charitable contributions.
Each million-dollar entry fee included $111,111 for the One Drop Foundation. The charity does incredibly important work to improve living conditions and water access, with ongoing projects in Burkina Faso, India, Madagascar, Columbia, Mexico, and remote regions of Canada. This one event raised over $5.3 million for the charity and priceless exposure.
During the final moments, Antonio Esfandiari defeated Sam Trickett to claim the largest poker tournament prize in history at the time.
In the final hand, Esfandiari had almost a 5-to-1 chip lead. The flop was , giving him trips with . Trickett shoved with , drawing for a fifth diamond. The turn was a , and on the river, a came.
Esfandiari's win propelled him to the top of poker's all-time money list, where he would sit for the next seven years.
3. $16,775,820 – Aaron Zang (China)
– Triton Million for Charity (2019)
Aaron Zang, a Chinese businessman and poker player, won the Triton Million for Charity event in London. Despite entering heads-up play with a significant four-to-one chip disadvantage against Bryn Kenney, Zang made a remarkable comeback to secure the victory. Time and time again, he managed to double up and steadily dig himself out of the deficit. In one hand, his held against Bryn's . Later, he rivered a full house as Bryn triple-barreled a missed flush draw, collecting enough chips to become the table leader.
However, despite his results in the match, Zang received a smaller prize for winning the tournament. In the final hand, his pair of eights held on against Kenney's Ace-high flush draw.
This was Zang's first major tournament victory, but he wasn't finished at the London Triton Series that year. A few days after winning nearly $17 million, he placed 3rd in a smaller £250,000 Short Deck event for over $2.7 million. 2019 was an exceptional year for Zang and those two results make up almost 90% of his total live earnings.
4. $15,306,668 – Daniel Colman (USA)
– The Big One for One Drop (2014)
The 2014 Big One for One Drop at the World Series of Poker attracted 42 entries, only 8 of which would receive a share of the $37,333,338 total prize pool. The tournament raised over $4.6 million for the One Drop charity and attracted well-deserved attention.
Daniel Colman, a 23-year-old online poker specialist, had just won over $2 million in the EPT. After missing the 2013 WSOP events, he was able to cash in two 2014 WSOP events for relatively small amounts. Then, on the 29th of June, he bought into the $1,000,000 entry One for One Drop event. Over a few days, he held on through the field, eventually defeating poker legend Daniel Negreanu heads-up to claim the massive prize. Known for his heads-up skills, Colman's victory was seen as a changing of the guard in poker.
In the final hand, Daniel Negreanu shoved preflop and made two pair with . Unfortunately for the Canadian, Colman's managed to spike a straight on the board. The river was no help to Daniel Negreanu's cards.
Notably, Colman avoided media attention as much as possible after his win, preferring to focus on the event's charitable aspects. While logical to many, others felt it was uncharacteristic, and verging on rude. In chats with Daniel Negreanu afterward, Colman said that he didn't want to promote poker because of the negative effect it has on some people's lives.
Not seeing the subtleties, the Las Vegas Sun said that Colman was "channeling a petulant child" and implied he was self-absorbed.
In the years after his 2014 win, Daniel Colman only cashed in a few tournaments. In 2017 though, he cashed in 14 different live events around the world, from Monte Carlo and Barcelona to Las Vegas and Hollywood. This added multiple millions to his total live earnings, which sit at around $29 million today. However, after 2017, Colman doesn't seem to be actively playing live tournaments. Much like his post-win celebration at the One for One Drop, it seems that he prefers to be behind the scenes.
Interesting note: Colman was issued a lifetime ban on PokerStars for re-entering freezeouts with alternate accounts after busting. However, he was given back privileges after moving to Montreal, Canada, and following the site's policies. Before his massive live tournament wins, his chosen online game was heads-up SNGs.
5. $12,248,912 – Elton Tsang (Hong Kong)
– Big One for One Drop Extravaganza (2016)
The 2016 Big One for One Drop Extravaganza took place in Monte Carlo, featuring a €1 million buy-in. Elton Tsang, a Hong Kong-based player, defeated a field of 28 entries to claim the third-largest prize in poker history at the time.
Elton's massive victory was particularly notable as he was relatively unknown in the poker world before this event. His largest live tournament cash before the 2016 One for One Drop was a mere $162,212, barely above 1% of his $12.2 million score.
In the final hand, Elton made the perfect hand against his opponent. On the turn, the board showed , which gave both players straights. However, Anatoly Gurtovoy had the lower end with , while Tsang had .
The tournament was part of a week-long series of high-stakes events benefiting the One Drop charity. Like other One Drop events, €111,111 was deducted from each entry fee, building a pool of over $3.1 for the charity.
Tsang's win vaulted him from outside the top 3,000 to 21st on poker's all-time money list. Since his 2016 One Drop victory, his live tournament earnings have skyrocketed to over $24 million. Elton is a fixture at Triton events, attending all of the recent series in South Korea, Cyprus, Madrid, and Monte Carlo.
