Daniel Negreanu won the first ever WSOP APAC Main Event for A$1,038,825 or $1,087,160, making him one of the biggest live tournament winners this year. Still, the amount is not enough for him to place among the Top 10, not even with a PartyPoker Premier League 13th finish for $32,000 and a WSOP APAC Mixed Event 4th finish for $17,096, a $1,136,256 in total. His current ranking on the annual live tournament money list is 14th.
Who are, then, the biggest live tournament winners so far in 2013?
10th: Vanessa Selbst
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,424,420
Total live tournament winnings: $7,004,036
A couple of years ago, Vanessa Selbst would be referred to as one of the best female players of the day. She later became the best female player of the day, to be the best female player of all time and, now, she is simply among the best players ever. Her total live tournament winnings are $7,004,036, of which $1,424,420 she earned this year by taking down the PCA $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event in January.
9th: Philipp Gruissem
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,478,055
Total live tournament winnings: $4,848,948
WSOP APAC High Roller champion Philipp Gruissem did make it to the top ten with his finish, ranking 9th. The German player, who is also successful online under his ‘Philbort’ screen name, won $863,386 in the first WSOP APAC for a third prize of six digits this year. In January, Gruissem finished 5th in the PCA $98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller for $400,700 and in February, he was runner-up in the Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $25,000 Challenge for $197,416. Additionally, he also finished ITM in the EPT London Main Event, cashing $16,553 for a 52th position.
8th: Daniel Shak
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,498,141
Total live tournament winnings: $5,380,899
Dan Shak keeps piling up premium winnings this year: so far, he has scooped seven ITMs, including four of six digits. In January, he finished 8th in the PCA $98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller Event for $228,960, 4th in the Aussie Millions Main Event for $422,279 and 4th again in the Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $100,000 Challenge for $250,201. In February, he ran 49th in the WPT L. A. Poker Classic for $21,840. In March, he was runner-up in the EPT London 8 Game Championship for $29,133 and won the PartyPoker Premier League for $528,000. This month, he finished 5th in the WSOP APAC Pot Limit Omaha event for $17,728 and April is far from over... Shak is clearly running hot; it would not make much of a surprise if he could finally win his first ever WSOP bracelet this year, after failing the heads-up in 2010.
7th: David ‘Doc’ Sands
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,503,003
Total live tournament winnings: $4,511,193
Former online MTT money list leader David ‘Doc’ Sands has been more and more into live tournaments lately and he keeps racking up impressing results, too. This year, he scooped his biggest live winning so far, going runner-up in the PCA $98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller for $1,259,320. In March, he finished 3rd in the Bay 101 Shooting Stars $24,500 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event for $112,700 and finished 2nd in April in the WPT Seminole $20,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event for $81,603. With a number of additional, smaller results, he totals for 2013 at $1,503,003 in winnings so far.
6th: Igor Kurganov
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,504,402
Total live tournament winnings: $4,202,697
Igor Kurganov made his breakthrough last year in the top of the live tournament field, winning $1,807,516. This year, he has proven his performance is not a matter of luck: while doing moderately well in the PCA, finishing 4th in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em – Turbo event for $26,260, he was owning the Aussie Millions. He was runner-up in the No Limit Hold’em - $100,000 Challenge for $643,976, finished 4th in the No Limit Hold’em - $250,000 Challenge for $527,849 and won the No Limit Hold’em - $25,000 Challenge for $290,317. Moreover, he finished 16th in the PartyPoker Premier League for $16,000.
5th: Tobias Reinkemeier
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,611,563
Total live tournament winnings: $5,896,895
Tobias Reinkemeier is so far the most successful German live tournament player this year with $1,611,563 in total winnings. He scooped in three ITM finishes, the most significant being the Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $250,000 Challenge runner-up for $1,319,623. He also scored well in the PCA $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller with a 7th place for $129,940 and in the PartyPoker Premier League with a 6th finish for $162,000.
4th: Mervin Chen
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,692,813
Total live tournament winnings: $1,692,813
The Malaysian player is an odd one out in this year’s live tournament money list Top 10, being the only amateur in the field of renowned professionals. 29-year-old Chen had never played live tournaments before but tried himself at the 2013 Aussie Millions and very well he did: the Southern Pacific Moneymaker took down two ITMs. First, he finished 65th in the $1,100 No Limit Hold’em event for $3,695 and then he won the Main Event for $1,689,118. Chen has not delivered any results since but he is probably not forcing it, either.
3rd: Dimitar Danchev
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,907,053
Total live tournament winnings: $2,943,907
Dimitar Danchev started the year 2013 as the most successful Bulgarian live tournament player ever and he has already almost tripled his total winnings this year. Danchev, who is most known at the online tables as ‘KuuL’ and as a cash game player at the NL1,000-NL5,000 games, owes this to a major victory: he took down the PCA Main Event for $1,859,000. He also had two minor ITM finishes: in the EPT Deauville €1,000 No Limit Hold’em – Turbo Bounty event, he finished 11th for €3,601 and 9th in the EPT London £10,000 No Limit Hold'em – High Roller event for £44,452.
2nd: Scott Seiver
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $2,235,159
Total live tournament winnings: $7,218,411
Two players managed to win over $2 million so far this year; one of them is Scott Seiver. The US pro is one of the best known players around with WSOP and WPT titles and regular cash game show appearances. Seiver boasts seven ITMs in 2013, among which is his biggest win so far: $2,003,480 for his PCA 98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller victory. In addition, he finished 3rd in January in the NBC Heads-Up Championship for $100,000, not to mention his other, 5-digit winnings.
1st: Sam Trickett
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $2,365,397
Total live tournament winnings: $19,835,679
British Sam Trickett made $1,071,356 in 2010, $4,598,038 in 2011 and $11,166,185 in 2012 in live tournaments, qualifying as the second biggest winner of all time, at the age of 26. Trickett does not seem to be willing to stop this year, leading the annual money list with $2,365,397. The most significant contribution to this sum was his Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $250,000 Challenge victory for $2,111,397 but his runner-up position in the PartyPoker Premier League for $254,000 is also noteworthy.
Who are, then, the biggest live tournament winners so far in 2013?
10th: Vanessa Selbst
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,424,420
Total live tournament winnings: $7,004,036
A couple of years ago, Vanessa Selbst would be referred to as one of the best female players of the day. She later became the best female player of the day, to be the best female player of all time and, now, she is simply among the best players ever. Her total live tournament winnings are $7,004,036, of which $1,424,420 she earned this year by taking down the PCA $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event in January.
9th: Philipp Gruissem
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,478,055
Total live tournament winnings: $4,848,948
WSOP APAC High Roller champion Philipp Gruissem did make it to the top ten with his finish, ranking 9th. The German player, who is also successful online under his ‘Philbort’ screen name, won $863,386 in the first WSOP APAC for a third prize of six digits this year. In January, Gruissem finished 5th in the PCA $98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller for $400,700 and in February, he was runner-up in the Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $25,000 Challenge for $197,416. Additionally, he also finished ITM in the EPT London Main Event, cashing $16,553 for a 52th position.
8th: Daniel Shak
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,498,141
Total live tournament winnings: $5,380,899
Dan Shak keeps piling up premium winnings this year: so far, he has scooped seven ITMs, including four of six digits. In January, he finished 8th in the PCA $98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller Event for $228,960, 4th in the Aussie Millions Main Event for $422,279 and 4th again in the Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $100,000 Challenge for $250,201. In February, he ran 49th in the WPT L. A. Poker Classic for $21,840. In March, he was runner-up in the EPT London 8 Game Championship for $29,133 and won the PartyPoker Premier League for $528,000. This month, he finished 5th in the WSOP APAC Pot Limit Omaha event for $17,728 and April is far from over... Shak is clearly running hot; it would not make much of a surprise if he could finally win his first ever WSOP bracelet this year, after failing the heads-up in 2010.
7th: David ‘Doc’ Sands
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,503,003
Total live tournament winnings: $4,511,193
Former online MTT money list leader David ‘Doc’ Sands has been more and more into live tournaments lately and he keeps racking up impressing results, too. This year, he scooped his biggest live winning so far, going runner-up in the PCA $98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller for $1,259,320. In March, he finished 3rd in the Bay 101 Shooting Stars $24,500 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event for $112,700 and finished 2nd in April in the WPT Seminole $20,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event for $81,603. With a number of additional, smaller results, he totals for 2013 at $1,503,003 in winnings so far.
6th: Igor Kurganov
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,504,402
Total live tournament winnings: $4,202,697
Igor Kurganov made his breakthrough last year in the top of the live tournament field, winning $1,807,516. This year, he has proven his performance is not a matter of luck: while doing moderately well in the PCA, finishing 4th in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em – Turbo event for $26,260, he was owning the Aussie Millions. He was runner-up in the No Limit Hold’em - $100,000 Challenge for $643,976, finished 4th in the No Limit Hold’em - $250,000 Challenge for $527,849 and won the No Limit Hold’em - $25,000 Challenge for $290,317. Moreover, he finished 16th in the PartyPoker Premier League for $16,000.
5th: Tobias Reinkemeier
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,611,563
Total live tournament winnings: $5,896,895
Tobias Reinkemeier is so far the most successful German live tournament player this year with $1,611,563 in total winnings. He scooped in three ITM finishes, the most significant being the Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $250,000 Challenge runner-up for $1,319,623. He also scored well in the PCA $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller with a 7th place for $129,940 and in the PartyPoker Premier League with a 6th finish for $162,000.
4th: Mervin Chen
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,692,813
Total live tournament winnings: $1,692,813
The Malaysian player is an odd one out in this year’s live tournament money list Top 10, being the only amateur in the field of renowned professionals. 29-year-old Chen had never played live tournaments before but tried himself at the 2013 Aussie Millions and very well he did: the Southern Pacific Moneymaker took down two ITMs. First, he finished 65th in the $1,100 No Limit Hold’em event for $3,695 and then he won the Main Event for $1,689,118. Chen has not delivered any results since but he is probably not forcing it, either.
3rd: Dimitar Danchev
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $1,907,053
Total live tournament winnings: $2,943,907
Dimitar Danchev started the year 2013 as the most successful Bulgarian live tournament player ever and he has already almost tripled his total winnings this year. Danchev, who is most known at the online tables as ‘KuuL’ and as a cash game player at the NL1,000-NL5,000 games, owes this to a major victory: he took down the PCA Main Event for $1,859,000. He also had two minor ITM finishes: in the EPT Deauville €1,000 No Limit Hold’em – Turbo Bounty event, he finished 11th for €3,601 and 9th in the EPT London £10,000 No Limit Hold'em – High Roller event for £44,452.
2nd: Scott Seiver
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $2,235,159
Total live tournament winnings: $7,218,411
Two players managed to win over $2 million so far this year; one of them is Scott Seiver. The US pro is one of the best known players around with WSOP and WPT titles and regular cash game show appearances. Seiver boasts seven ITMs in 2013, among which is his biggest win so far: $2,003,480 for his PCA 98,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller victory. In addition, he finished 3rd in January in the NBC Heads-Up Championship for $100,000, not to mention his other, 5-digit winnings.
1st: Sam Trickett
Live tournament winnings in 2013: $2,365,397
Total live tournament winnings: $19,835,679
British Sam Trickett made $1,071,356 in 2010, $4,598,038 in 2011 and $11,166,185 in 2012 in live tournaments, qualifying as the second biggest winner of all time, at the age of 26. Trickett does not seem to be willing to stop this year, leading the annual money list with $2,365,397. The most significant contribution to this sum was his Aussie Millions No Limit Hold’em - $250,000 Challenge victory for $2,111,397 but his runner-up position in the PartyPoker Premier League for $254,000 is also noteworthy.
