While poker has produced many millionaires over the years, only one player has crossed into billionaire status – businessman Andrew Beal. Thanks to his poker prowess and financial empire, Beal tops the list with a staggering net worth of $9.7 billion.
Let‘s take a look at Beal and some of poker‘s other wealthiest figures to understand how they‘ve managed to pull in massive fortunes from cards, chips and lady luck.
The Poker Billionaire – Andrew Beal
Andrew Beal took the long road to becoming poker‘s only billionaire. Born in Lansing, Michigan in 1952, Beal studied mathematics before founding Beal Bank in 1988. During this time, he began testing his skills in Las Vegas poker rooms.
The numbers whiz was outmatched early on against legends like Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese. According to Brunson, Beal lost over $10 million playing $10,000/$20,000 limit hold‘em in his first two years in Vegas.
But true to his analytical nature, Beal studied the mathematical probabilities behind poker hands and perfected his strategy. By the mid 90‘s, he began besting Brunson and other pros regularly at the highest stakes.
Beal had plenty of big wins and losses over the years:
| 1996 | Won $11.7 million from Chip Reese |
| 2001 | Lost $16.6 million to Reese/Hammond |
| 2004 | Won $13.6 million from Ivey/Dwan/Greenstein |
While Beal gave up millions short term, these high stakes games over time helped grow his bankroll into the billions. With his poker winnings and stock in Beal Bank, his net worth soared.
Forbes now estimates Beal‘s fortune at $9.7 billion, making him the lone poker billionaire. He doesn‘t play often today, but is willing to play for $10 million+ per hand against the right opponents.
Instagram King – Dan Bilzerian
With his over-the-top playboy lifestyle documented for 32 million Instagram followers, Dan Bilzerian has earned fame as the "Instagram King." But how did he actually make his money?
Bilzerian staked his claim to fame by winning $10.8 million in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing in 180th place. Beyond poker, however, Dan has benefited greatly from his father Paul Bilzerian‘s shady corporate takeover schemes.
Paul funneled millions into a trust fund for Dan and his brother Adam before being convicted of fraud by the SEC in the early 90‘s. Though he denies it, Dan likely inherited a sizable sum this way.
Dan has continued playing poker at nosebleed stakes, but hisultra-lavish lifestyle casts doubt on the claim that winnings fund it all. From private jets to machine guns to fleets of models, Bilzerian spends money as fast as he can make it.
While his exact net worth is disputed, most estimates place it in the $200 million range. Between his trust fund upbringing, poker and sponsorships for his crazy Instagram persona, this "King" definitely lives more like a prince.
Crypto Poker Pioneer – Wesley Fei
The rise of online poker in the early 2000‘s created an opportunity for amateurs to play their way to fortune and fame. Wesley Fei took that path to success, then blazed trails merging poker with another financial revolution – cryptocurrency.
Born in 1991, Fei left college early to pursue poker as a profession. He started playing small stakes games online using his scholarship money bankroll. Within a few years, he‘d built it into millions through volume play and solid win rates.
But it was cryptocurrency that really grew Fei‘s wealth. He invested early in Bitcoin in 2011, then made a fortune buying Ethereum in 2016 before its meteoric rise.
This allowed Fei to jump into live poker tournaments at the highest stakes. It also gave him the idea for CoinPoker, a crypto-based online poker room he founded in 2017.
Estimated to be worth $30-50 million, Fei sits among poker‘s elite despite being just 30 years old. His crypto-poker empire should continue expanding for years to come.
Other Notable Big Money Players
While Beal and Fei are relative newcomers, poker has been transforming average joes into millionaires since the 1970‘s boom. Here are a few other icons who‘ve netted massive poker fortunes over the years:
| Player | Key Stats | Net Worth |
| Chris Moneymaker | 2003 WSOP Main Event champ | $5 million |
| Erik Seidel | $34.6 million in career earnings | $55 million |
| Johnny Chan | 10 WSOP bracelets | $50 million |
| Antonio Esfandiari | $27 million career earnings | $50 million |
The game of poker has made multimillionaires of many dedicated players. But reaching the billion-dollar mark on poker alone is a monumental feat only accomplished so far by Mr. Andrew Beal.
For every poker Cinderella story, there are thousands who‘ve lost fortunes chasing that dream. Building sustainable, long-term wealth takes steely resolve.
As the saying goes – it‘s a hard way to make an easy living.
