Top 10 All-time Money winners at the World Series of Poker (WSOP)

The WSOP has turned some 150 poker players into millionaires over the years. The following list takes a look at the top 10 money winners from the WSOP, and what they had to accomplish to take home those huge paydays.

1. Jamie Gold - $12,067,292

Gold navigated the biggest field in WSOP history to capture the 2006 Main Event. The $12 million first prize was the largest ever awarded, and put Gold at the top of the all-time money list. Gold has three other cashes at the WSOP totaling $67,000.

It’s unlikely that the field size of the WSOP will once again approach the numbers from 2006 (until UIGEA is repealed, and European poker sites reenter the US market), so Gold will most likely hang on to his top spot unless someone else high on the money list has a big finish in the Main Event.

1. Peter Eastgate - $9,152,416

The 2008 Main Event winner -the 22 year old Peter Eastgate-took home the second largest prize in poker history, and shot ahead of everyone except for Jamie Gold. The Main Event victory is Eastgate’s only cash at the WSOP, but he definitely made it count.

At 22, Eastgate has a good opportunity to take over the #1 all-time money winner spot at in the next decade.

1. Jerry Yang - $8,250,000

2007 Main Event Champion Jerry Yang (see the pattern forming with winning the mega-field Main Event and being high on the money list) is another player who made the most of their 1 cash in the WSOP.

Jerry “run as hot as the sun” Yang’s improbable victory is likely to be his only huge score at the WSOP. Though many players concede that what Yang lacks in poker skill he more than makes up for with his pleasant personality.

1. Joe Hachem - $7,941,823

Hachem, one of the better players to win the WSOP in recent memory, has cashed in 8 WSOP events since; including 2 final tables where he finished 2^nd and 4^th. Hachem also took down The WPT Five Diamond event in 2006, netting himself another $2 million score.

The 2005 main Event was not only Hachem’s coming out party, but also the introduction to the rest of the world of the Australian chant, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie…Oy, Oy, Oy!!!”

1. Allen Cunningham - $6,717,791

At #5 we have our first non-Main Event winner, Allen Cunningham. The long-time pro (despite being in his early 30’s) has 5 bracelets and over 40 cashes at the WSOP to date. Cunningham’s biggest score did come in the Main Event; in 2006 he finished 4^th worth over $3,000,000.

Although the mild mannered Cunningham is not one of the bigger name’s on the poker scene, he is definitely one of poker’s top tournament players.

1. Greg Raymer - $6,487,512

Raymer was the first Main Event Champion to benefit from the mega-field tournament. In 2004 Raymer outlasted 2,576 players to capture the title and the $5 million 1^st prize.

‘Fossilman’ has proved he has some staying power though; he has cashed 11 times since his big win (13 overall), with 5 final tables including a 3^rd place finish in the 2009 $40k NLHE tournament.

1. Ivan Demidov - $6,468,381

Demidov is the first non-bracelet winner on the list: The 2008 Main Event runner-up is one of the rising stars on the poker scene. The Russian born Demidov finished 3^rd in the WSOP Europe Main Event the same year he finished 2^nd in the Main Event!

1. Paul Wasicka - $6,192,711

Wasicka has the dubious distinction of capturing the biggest brides-maid payday in poker history. The Full Tilt pro -Wasicka is also an instructor for Full Tilt Poker Academy-has 3 other WSOP cashes to his name, and is another player who many feel has the potential for greatness.

1. Phil Hellmuth - $6,054,988

It must kill Phil to see players who he probably couldn’t recognize ahead of him on the money list. But the 11-time bracelet winner’s biggest payday at the WSOP is only $755,000.

While Phil has received 73 checks from the WSOP (most all-time) he hasn’t hit that huge payday that everyone else in the top 10 has. Phil is the grinder of the group, so that says a lot for his consistency when he can crack the top 10 without a million dollar payday; every other player has at least a $3 million score.

1. Michael Binger - $4,853,748

Binger finished 3^rd in the 2006 Main Event (the top four finishers from that remarkable year are all in the top 10 all-time money winners) and has quietly amassed 19 WSOP cashes. Binger could be the most anonymous top player in the game.

Binger, who chose poker over Particle Physics, even though he has a PhD in particle physics, because apparently the WSOP pays better than CERN. So instead of Binger fixing that particle accelerator in Europe, we get to watch him at the poker tables.