Famous Online Poker Stars & Their Biggest Wins

Many of the most famous poker players in the world started as anonymous players online, building up their bankroll before raking in huge wins at live events. We’ve put together some of the most recognizable names in online poker and their biggest-ever wins.

Why Do People Play Poker Online?

More than anything else, people play online poker because of the convenience. Wherever you are in the world, all you need is an internet connection and you can start playing in minutes — without the hassle of travel or finding a local casino.

What Are the Advantages of Playing Poker Online?

No matter the time of day, you can always find a game. Online poker rooms are open 24/7 with access to many different types of games. There are also many different promotions and bonuses so you can maximize your bankroll and winnings.

This is especially useful if you’re trying to learn poker online — there’s not as much pressure, so you can practice without feeling rushed. It’s also a lot harder for your opponents to read your poker tells.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of online poker is the ability to ‘multi-table.’ Instead of sitting idle while other players make their decisions, you can play hands at more than one table, which keeps your brain active and focused.

What Is the Biggest-Ever Online Poker Win?

Bert Stevens, AKA ‘girafganger7’, scored what is believed to be the biggest ever online poker jackpot in October 2023, taking home the top prize of $2,783,432 from the WSOP Online Main Event. The field was made up of 6,023 players with a total prize pool of $28,609,520.

Online Poker Players & Their Biggest Wins

Tom Dwan AKA ‘durrrr’ — $3.1 Million (2023)
Online poker legend Tom Dwan, known by his alias ‘durrrr’, started playing online poker in 2004 at the age of 17. Known for his hyper-aggressive play and the occasional bluff, he successfully transitioned to the live poker circuit and has scored many top-10 finishes at high-profile events.
His biggest-ever win came in 2023 in a live-streamed tournament with a $1 million buy-in. Dwan took down a $3,081,000 pot, winning more than $2 million and setting a new record in the process.

Bertrand Grospellier AKA ‘ElkY’ — $2.3 Million (2017)
One of the most recognizable names in online poker, ‘ElkY’ had a successful career playing eSports before turning to professional poker in 2005.

Aside from being one of the few players in poker history to achieve the ‘Triple Crown’ (winning a WSOP, EPT, and WPT event), his biggest win came in 2017 when he finished second in the WSOP Big One for One Drop high roller event — taking home $2,278,697.

Viktor Blom AKA ‘Isildur1’ — $1.3 Million (2012)
Blom made a name for himself in 2009 when, still an unknown player, he took on many veteran poker pros in some of the largest pots in online poker history. He amassed over $6 million in winnings that year alone — without anyone knowing his true identity.

After focussing on live events, his biggest win came in 2012 at a Super High Roller tournament. He finished in first place, netting an impressive $1,254,400.

Dan Cates AKA ‘jungleman12/w00ki3z’ — $1.4 Million (2022)
Introduced to online poker at 17 years old, he learned as much as he could from challenging strong players in a strategy he dubbed ‘reverse game selection.’ He boasts total online winnings of over $14 million.
His best tournament result came in 2022 at the WSOP Poker Players Championship, where he won an impressive $1,449,103.

Daniel Negreanu AKA ‘KidPoker’ — $8.3 Million (2014)
Easily one of the most recognizable poker stars, Negreanu became the youngest-ever WSOP champion in 1998 at the age of 23 — a record he held until 2004. He has firmly established himself on the all-time earnings list with over $50 million to his name.
Negreanu won a staggering $8,288,001 at the Big One for One Drop tournament in 2014.

Patrik Antonius AKA ‘FinddaGrind’ — $3.2 Million (2018)
Getting his start with poker at a very young age, Antonius has built a reputation as one of the world's best high-stakes online poker players. Starting his live poker career in the early 2000s, he quickly hit back-to-back 6-figure cashes on the European Poker Tour.

With a handful of $1 million + finishes to his name, his best result came in 2018 at the Super High Roller Bowl in China — taking 2nd place and winning $3,151,734.

Fedor Holz AKA ‘CrownUpGuy’ — $6 Million (2018)
Scoring 10 cashes worth $1 million or more, Holz has career earnings of over $31 million and is top of the German all-time money list. He retired after an incredible tournament run in 2016 but was unable to stay away for long, returning to the poker scene at the beginning of 2017.
Holz won a career-high $6,000,000 at the WSOP Big One for One Drop in 2018.

Final thoughts

Some people would argue poker is a game of luck. Others would say it’s a game of skill. In order to cash out with millions of dollars, the most famous online poker stars definitely needed both qualities — not to mention patience, mental fortitude, and determination.