Greg Raymer

Biography Born 1964 in Minot, North Dakota, Raymer frequently moved around the country as a child due to his parents’ military service. Raymer attended college at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he began to play nickel-dime poker with his fraternity friends.

Raymer went on to become a serious blackjack player with some card-counting abilities, but switched to poker when he realised it could be more profitable in the long run. After graduating from University of Minnesota Law School in 1992, Raymer practiced law as a patent attorney for over a decade, while still playing regularly in casino tournaments and cash games.

Raymer is nicknamed ‘Fossilman’ due to his hobby of collecting fossils. He can often be found using one of these fossils as a card protector, and had previously sold part of his collection so as to help replenish his bankroll.

Raymer has established himself as one of the world’s premier tournament players, with his first cash at the World Series of Poker in 2001 when he finished 12th in the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo event. It was at the 2002 WSOP that Raymer began wearing his now trademark lizard-eye glasses; he has stated that he first wore them as a joke but soon realised that they put off other players at the table.

Raymer qualified for the 2004 Main Event after winning a $160 double shoot-out satellite, and managed to win the tournament for a then record first prize of $5,000,000. The next year at the Main Event, Raymer managed another incredible deep run as he finished 25th out of a field of 5,619 runners. This has gone down as one of the most impressive two-year performances in the Main Event, along with Dan Harrington, who finished an incredible 3rd and 4th in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Raymer has also proven himself as a strong player on the virtual felt as well as live, as he won a World Championship of Online Poker bracelet in 2007, in a $320 Pot Limit Omaha event for $168,362.