Some places in the world just seem to have something in the water where talent grows in abundance and finds its way onto the biggest stages — a cultural education that takes place over generations and the handing down of secrets and methods.
In New Jersey, the talent is Texas Hold’em poker and some of the best and most popular poker players who ever lived graduated from the Garden State’s academy of serial winners. Steeped in tradition, with a rich heritage of producing high-caliber players, New Jersey is also one of the states where it’s legal to play poker online. Since the arrival of COVID-19, many have been forced indoors and this has seen a resurgence in the number of people playing online poker.
Atlantic City has always been the East Coast’s monument to the gaming lifestyle that comes so naturally to its residents and, since the 70s, has been a hotbed for producing some of the best poker players of all time. Whether in the bright Atlantic City lights, dim underground clubs or New Jersey online poker rooms, the sport has always thrived and the players featured on this list have all had their own journey to the top.
7. Joshua Beckley
Sitting at 157 on the US all-time money list, Joshua Beckley is an NJ native who hasn’t left his state behind. Born in 1990 in Marlton, New Jersey, Beckley made a name for himself when he emerged as the runner-up in the 2015 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
Before his remarkable WSOP achievement, Beckley had been a regular figure in East Coast poker tournaments, gradually building a solid reputation. However, his breakout moment arrived when he secured second place in the 2015 WSOP Main Event, outlasting over 6,400 competitors. This outstanding performance led to a whopping prize of $4.47 million.
Beckley is known for his unique blend of patience, astuteness and aggression, which has helped him thrive under the pressure of high-stakes tournaments. His WSOP success solidified his status among the top ranks of professional poker players, which he followed up with a $439,560 4th place at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure PCA tournament in 2016.
Beckley continues to compete in poker tournaments across the globe, consistently adding to his career earnings and reputation. Beyond his poker endeavors, he also mentors aspiring players, sharing his knowledge and strategies.
6. Scott Blumstein
A relative newcomer to the NJ poker elite is Scott Blumstein. Born in 1992, Blumstein’s emergence on the poker stage was a direct result of winning the WSOP Main Event in 2017. Blumstein’s triumph in the globally prestigious tournament skyrocketed him to fame and established him as one of the notable figures in modern poker.
A New Jersey native, Blumstein developed a passion for poker during his college days at Temple University, Philadelphia. As with many on this list, he cultivated a successful career in online poker before transitioning to live tournaments.
His defining career moment arrived when he outlasted over 7,000 players to win the 2017 WSOP Main Event, securing a massive $8.15 million prize. This victory wasn’t a fluke; it was a testament to Blumstein’s skills, strategic acumen and mental stamina. The hand that clinched his victory was an ace of hearts and a 2 of diamonds, leading to a deuce on the river to give him a winning pair.
Post-WSOP, Blumstein has remained an active figure in poker and sits at 75 on the US all-time money list and 234th on the Hendon Mob popularity ranking. He continues to leverage his fame to promote the game, share his insights and compete in other tournaments. Despite the pressures that come with his WSOP champion status, Blumstein consistently exhibits a love for the game and dedication to his craft.
5. Amanda Musumeci
She may be the only woman on the list, but Amanda Musumeci represents millions of women not only in New Jersey but around the world — and she’s here on merit. Even more impressive is the fact that she only learned the game at 22 while she was at college. A friend recommended that she try her hand at online poker and she flipped her $150 deposit into five grand within a couple of weeks.
After deciding to go pro, she took advice from local stalwarts like Matt Stout and, under his tutelage, she consistently raked in huge pots online. Once she got a taste for the easy money, she decided to rub shoulders with gaming’s elite in Vegas and never looked back. She may never have got a WSOP bracelet, but her larger-than-life personality and courage under fire took her to two final tables, earning just over half a million dollars. Add this to her $800k stack from other poker tournaments and the Kutztown University graduate is one of the most prominent and popular poker players in the game.
4. Tom Dwan
Hailing from Edison, Tom Dwan began his career as a cocky, fresh-faced 17-year-old and it didn’t take long for him to start hauling in big hands online. By the time he was 23, he was already dominating the $200/400 tables on Full Tilt and made a number of high-profile appearances on various popular poker shows.
He never quite lived up to his potential in tournaments and never got his hands on the famous WSOP bracelet despite finishing runner-up in 2010. Known for his risky strategy during cash games and online poker tournaments, Dwan earned his reputation as one of the best aggressive players in the history of the game.
His charisma and playing style made him a natural on camera where he would occasionally slow roll for dramatic effect. It was no surprise to see him spend large portions of his career doing stuff like High Stakes and other televised cash games on GSN. He once famously challenged anybody except his good friend, Phil Galfond, to $1 million heads up for 50,000 hands. If he won, he would only take $500K and would pay out $1.5 million if he lost.
3. Darren Elias
Though he no longer resides in New Jersey, Elias grew up there and like many of his peers, he made his name online, his stoic and careful nature put to good use as he cleaned up pot after pot. A creative writing major from a conservative family, he bucked tradition to take on the live poker tournaments and struggled to find his form early on. His usually calm exterior was ruffled by the big names and he fleetingly joined the small club of tilted pros who lost their cool at the tables.
But by 2009, he had already cashed a six-figure win and, in 2010, was runner-up in the WSOP, a tournament he would sadly never win. The following year he took it up a gear and finished with a flourish taking fifth place at the WPT Borgata Poker Open for a cool $396,987, a tournament he would return to win in 2014. Elias won a record four WORLD Poker Tour (WPT) titles, over $7 million in tournament earnings and $1.5 million online, making him one of the most successful players of all time and a Garden State poker legend. The New Jersey online poker rooms were the start of an incredible career, but it’s his tournament performances that stand him in a league of his own.
2. Thomas Marchese
A New Jersey poker native, Tom Marchese had an early love of the game and started his journey as a high-schooler one day in 2006 after being pulled into a $5 game by his friends. The rest is history.
In his college years, he coined the now-infamous username “kingsofcards” and proceeded to win everyone’s money, amassing a $30,000 bankroll from the original 50 bucks scrambled together by his friends. He paid up his tuition before setting a course for Sin City to test himself in poker tournaments against the very best in the business.
By the time the Borgata Winter Open rolled around in 2010, Marchese was on fire. Since then, he’s collected over $20 million, winning almost everything there is to win and an astonishing seven tournament payouts worth $1 million or more. The only tournaments missing from his lengthy resume are the WSOP and the WTP, but with his level of consistency, only a fool would rule him out of making a clean sweep.
1. Phil Ivey
Often called the “Tiger Woods of poker,” Phil Ivey is arguably the most legendary figure in the game. Having spent his childhood in Roselle, NJ, Ivey’s natural talent was evident from an early age and though he couldn’t play poker online, he made a fake ID to get onto tables in Atlantic City and hone his craft. With the guidance of Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu, Ivey transformed himself into the perfect poker player.
The height of his powers was realized in 2000 when he won his first WSOP against none other than Amarillo Slim, taking home $200K in the process. It would be the first of 10 WSOP bracelets he would claim, adding three gold ones for good measure. Ivey’s legendary status and mammoth earnings have made him one of the most respected players ever to grace live poker.
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