Joe Tehan

Joe Tehan may not be a poker player with a plethora of WSOP Gold Bracelets, tournament wins and awards, but his strong play on the felt over the past decade has made one of the best and most underrated poker players in the world. The American has won numerous professional poker events throughout the US, including one at the World Poker Tour (WPT) and has 30 WSOP in the money finishes to his name, all of which have contributed to total live earnings of over US$4.2 million.

While Tehan got a start by playing in smaller poker events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, he first made his presence felt when he won the $330 event at the 2006 L.A Poker Classic. In that event, Tehan topped a field of 862 entries to take home US179,605, but that was the beginning of a good year in poker for the player.

In June 2006, Tehan took out the $10,000 event at the Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in what still remains his best live cash in his poker career to date. He topped a field that included players like John Juanda and Carlos Mortensen to win US$1,033,440.

Tehan then made his debut in the WSOP, where he went in the money in three different events, which he bettered in 2007 by placing in the money in four events. His sixth place finish in the US$1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em event at the 2008 WSOP marked the first time Tehan placed in the final table at a WSOP event.

Another huge tournament win came in November 2010, when Tehan topped a total field of 701 players to win the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles Main Event. He won US$725,000 for his stellar play in that tournament, and further asserted himself as a formidable live poker player.

Tehan then went on to claim his second ever WSOP final table finish after he came seventh in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Championship event at the 2011 series. The 2012 WSOP was arguably the most successful for Tehan, however, as he went in the money in nine different events throughout the series, which included a ninth place finish at the $3,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout event.

In 2014, Tehan achieved his best place at a WSOP event to date – a runner-up finish at the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event. He also placed fifth in the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event – the first time Tehan has reached the final table in two events in the same series. While he has not been able to win a Gold Bracelet, his consistency on the felt raises the potential that 2016 could be the year Tehan finally captures a WSOP win.