Who was the last ALREADY "famous" Player to win the Main Event? - Poker News

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Who was the last ALREADY "famous" Player to win the Main Event?

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07-16-2019 , 11:06 AM

Registered 2018

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Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 958

We all know that Moneymaker was a complete unknown when he won the main event. Raymer was already successful before that. But no WSOP champ ever since was famous before winning the title. In fact, it was the winning of the title that made them famous.

Sammartino, Ensan, and Livingston are not famous. But who ever wins will become famous.

Who was the last already famous person to become WSOP Main Event champion?

Merson?

Nguyen?

Hellmuth?

Stuey?

Who?

By "famous" I mean already highly respected by his peers and/or already known by the public.

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07-16-2019 , 11:13 AM

Defarse

adept

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Chris Ferguson

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07-16-2019 , 11:21 AM

Swedishmonkey

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Martin Jacobson

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07-16-2019 , 11:30 AM

Smudger2408

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Jamie Gold

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07-16-2019 , 11:32 AM

businessdude

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Johnny Chan

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07-16-2019 , 11:36 AM

illdonk

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Does Ungar’s 1997 bracelet count?

Last edited by illdonk; 07-16-2019 at 11:43 AM.

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07-16-2019 , 11:44 AM

madlex

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Registered 2018

Sammartino, Ensan, and Livingston are not famous. But who ever wins will become famous.

If your definition of “famous” is so narrow that it doesn’t include two guys who combine for over $10mil in live cashes, an EPT title and several (super) high roller cashes, you’re probably having a hard time to find many examples.

That’d be OK if you didn’t list somebody like Greg Raymer who didn’t have a single $50k cash before his ME win.

Martin Jacobson had a couple ridiculously successful years before winning the ME, including final tabling the 111k 1drop the year before, but I guess he also falls in the not famous category because “he’s from Europe and wasn’t on Poker After Dark”.

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07-16-2019 , 11:47 AM

NickMPK

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If you don't count Jacobson as famous enough, the answer has to be Stu Ungar in 1997.

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07-16-2019 , 11:55 AM

Tuma

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Carlos Mortensen

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07-16-2019 , 11:58 AM

#10

Defarse

adept

Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 895

Greg Raymer playing $200 dailies before winning ME counts as being famous............................................ .................................................. ...............

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07-16-2019 , 12:23 PM

#11

HensonLosesLots

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Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 536

Quote:

Originally Posted by illdonk

Does Ungar’s 1997 bracelet count?

When I saw this post , I immediately thought of Stu Ungar.

An absolute fkn legend, if you haven't heard of him - read about his story. It's so sad but so great at same time. He was ahead of his time.

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07-16-2019 , 01:43 PM

#12

that_pope

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I think it's been stated before that the last player who was considered the top player in the game before he won the main event was Huck Seed.

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07-16-2019 , 01:45 PM

#13

tc0ates

journeyman

Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 375

Martin Jacobson

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07-16-2019 , 01:48 PM

#14

Cashcid Linc

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Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3,559

Quote:

Originally Posted by Registered 2018

Sammartino, Ensan, and Livingston are not famous. But who ever wins will become famous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Registered 2018

By "famous" I mean already highly respected by his peers and/or already known by the public.

that does not compute

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07-16-2019 , 02:13 PM

#15

ukbilly

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Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 1,867

Ryan Riess was already the best player in the world when he won in 2013.

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07-16-2019 , 02:36 PM

#16

Xenoblade

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Join Date: Sep 2017 Posts: 4,087

I would go with Martin Jacobson

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07-16-2019 , 03:43 PM

#17

DreamAgain

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Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 552

poker famous or famous famous lol.

Johnny Chan second time around I'd say..

Martin Jacobson was kind of known a little bit.

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07-16-2019 , 03:50 PM

#18

UnnaturalDisaster

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Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,543

lol Sammartino already has cashed for 8 million has had a successful online career and is definitively more respected by top pros than Raymer ever has been. How much had Raymer cashed for before winning. Raymer doesn't even have 8 million worth of cashes now.

and lets be real there are only like 5 players that you could even consider sort of famous. I doubt even someone like Fedor Holz ever gets recognized by fans outside of Vegas

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07-16-2019 , 10:36 PM

#19

tc0ates

journeyman

Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 375

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamAgain

poker famous or famous famous lol.

None of these people are famous famous

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07-16-2019 , 11:48 PM

#20

Dominic

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Martin Jacobson was famous??

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07-17-2019 , 12:23 AM

#21

NickMPK

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I think you could argue there were a few poker players who became famous famous after winning the main event, but no main event winner was famous famous before winning it.

Huck Seed was well known in poker before winning it in 96, but certainly Ungar was better known before winning it in 97. I haven’t seen any evidence that Ferguson or Mortenson were particularly well-known before the year they won. (I believe Ferguson won his first bracelet shortly before his Main Event win, but so did Merson if that qualifies him.)

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07-17-2019 , 12:40 AM

#22

fakekidpoker

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Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,256

If Tilly ever won she would be the most famous.

No real poker players are actually famous.. at least being known for poker

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07-17-2019 , 12:53 AM

#23

NickMPK

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Quote:

Originally Posted by fakekidpoker

If Tilly ever won she would be the most famous.

No real poker players are actually famous.. at least being known for poker

My impression was Amarillo Slim was actually famous in the 70s.

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07-17-2019 , 01:04 AM

#24

tc0ates

journeyman

Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 375

Quote:

Originally Posted by fakekidpoker

If Tilly ever won she would be the most famous.

No real poker players are actually famous.. at least being known for poker

Well matt damon played that one year so...

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07-17-2019 , 02:03 AM

#25

Utah_CUtiger

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Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 2,035

John Cynn wasn't super well known but he did have an 11th place finish in the Main from 2016

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