Poker Celebrities: Edward Giddens

Edward Simon Hunter Giddins better known as Edward Giddens was born 20 July 1971 in Eastbourne, Sussex. Edward is a former English cricketer who played in four tests from 1999 to 2000. Giddins played for four counties during his career Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire, and.

Edward Giddins' career was full of controversy. In 1996 he was sacked by Sussex because of drug offences and was banned from cricket for 18 months. Almost seven years later he was fined £5000, plus £1000 costs, and was banned from cricket for a further five years after being found guilty of placing a £7000 bet on his own side (at the time) Surrey, to lose their County Championship game.
He has recently turned to poker to earn his living and has appeared on the poker chat show Heads Up with Richard Herring to discuss this career. Edward Giddens has cashed in 16 big tournaments and fantabulous poker pots  to date with total winnings of $81,676.00. He has only had one first place finish.

Edward Giddens Poker Tournament Career Wins include the following:

• SpringFest No Limit Hold'em - 9th $2,456 Apr 11, 2007
• Sussex Masters No Limit Hold'em - 1st $18,747 Apr 5, 2007
• Sussex Masters No Limit Hold'em - 5th $1,968 Apr 4, 2007
• Dom Classics 2007 No Limit Hold'em - 6th $3,404 Jan 25, 2007
• Summer Shaker Event #1 - Pot Limit Hold'em - 2nd $3,149 Aug 14, 2006
• The Summer FestivalNo Limit Hold'em -3rd $6,580 May 23, 2006
• Celeb Poker Dublin Classic No Limit Hold'em - 4th $4,587 May 13, 2006
• Sussex Masters Pot Limit Hold'em - 2nd $3,665 Apr 10, 2006
• Midlands Medley Pot Limit Hold'em - 2nd $7,686 Feb 26, 2006
• Midlands Medley No Limit Hold'em - 3rd $11,811 Feb 22, 2006
• Christmas Cracker Tournament No Limit Hold'em - 2nd $5,812 Dec 13, 2005
• European Poker Championships No Limit Hold'em - 12th $656 Aug 7, 2005
• January Sales Pot Limit Hold'em - 10th $375 Jan 28, 2005
• Christmas Cracker Tournament No Limit Hold'em - 5th $6,749 Dec 4, 2004
• Southampton Poker Festival Pot Limit Hold'em - 10th $469 Nov 1, 2004
• Harbour Lights Poker Tournament Pot Limit Hold'em - 5th $3,562 Oct 29, 2004

It is unknown as to whether Edward plays or wins a lot of ring/cash games but it is assumed he does pretty well in them considering his placings in the above poker tournaments.

Poker Celebrities: Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson also known as Texas Dolly was born on August 10, 1933. Doyle is one of the famous poker celebrities a renowned American professional poker player who has played professionally for more than 50 years. One of the legendary Texas Road gamblers, Doyle Brunson is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively. He is also a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several highly influential books on poker including:

• Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course in Power Poker, 1979
• Doyle Brunson's Super System II, 2004
• Poker Wisdom of a Champion, 2003 (formerly titled According to Doyle when published in 1984)
• Online Poker: Your Guide to Playing Online Poker Safely & Winning Money, 2005
• My 50 Most Memorable Hands, 2007
• According to Doyle, 2007

Doyle Brunson was the first poker player to earn 1 million dollars in poker tournaments and has won ten World Series of Poker bracelets throughout his career. He is tied with Johnny Chan for second all-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner,  one behind the poker brat; Phil Hellmuth's eleven total bracelets. Doyle Brunson is also one of only four players to have won the Main Event at the World Series of Poker multiple times, which he did in 1976 and 1977 back to back. He is also one of only two poker players (Bill Boyd the other) to have won bracelets at the WSOP in four consecutive years. Doyle Brunson was also the first of five players to win both the WSOP Main Event and a World Poker Tour title. In January 2006, Bluff Magazine voted Brunson the number 1 most influential force in the world of poker.

Doyle Brunson is also now famous for his online poker site Doyles Room. Doyle plays most weeks in the famous Doyles Room bounty tournament where knocking out him gains you extra cash. Knock out the other bounties and receive more.

As for Doyles winning total in the world of poker it is monstrous. Back when Doyle won the World Series of Poker back to back, payouts for winning the event were not as big as today. If the payouts for first place in the World Series were as big in 1976 and 1977 Doyle Brunson would definitely also hold the record for cashing in the main event.

Among other poker celebrities, Doyle Brunsons Tournament cashing s are beyond comprehension to some people. This year alone he has cashed 6 times. 50 pages would be needed to write a complete history of Doyles poker tournament cashing s. As quoted by the Hendon Mob "If ever a bio was unnecessary, Brunson would be the man". If we include the cash made from cash games; Doyle Brunson could well be the biggest ever poker winner, the god of poker as such.

Poker Celebrities : Anne Duke

 

Anne LaBarr Lederer-Duke better known as Annie Duke was born on September 13, 1965. Annie Duke is a professional poker player and also a book author. Annie won a bracelet in the 2004 World Series of Poker $2,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Event and was the winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, where she earned the Winner-Take-All prize of $2,000,000. At the time, this victory was the most money paid in a single event to a female poker player. That record was broken by Annette Obrestad during the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event.

Annie holds the women's record for most "in the money" finishes at the WSOP. Duke has won more than three million dollars in tournament play. Nowadays she refuses to play in women's only tournaments . As of 2009 Annie Dukes total live tournament winnings exceeded $3,600,000. Her 37 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,136,846 of those winnings.

Annie Duke became the first poker player to appear on The Colbert Report. During the show, she talked about her book How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions at The World Series of Poker; and what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated event. Annie Duke Takes on the World featuring Annie playing against amateur poker players was shown on Game Show Network (GSN) in 2006.

Other television appearances include Annie Dukes appearance as a member of the Mob (NBC) where she correctly answered every question and was the only celebrity who wasn't eliminated. She returned and was successful on another fe occasions before returning on February 9 2007 under "Last Man Standing" rules where the game continued until only one person remained. She survived to reach the final five of 100 contestants.

Annie Duke has appeared on NBC's Poker After Dark three times but has not won, Deal Or No Deal to support a contestant who, after taking a $341,000 deal from the bank with only two cases left, found her case number 13 had the $1,000,000.

Along with Phil Hellmuth Jr., Duke is a coach on Fox Sports Network's Best Damn Poker Show.

Lastly she appeared on the Donald Trump reality television show, Celebrity Apprentice. Throughout the season, each celebrity raised money for a charity of his or her choice. Duke raised more money for her charity (Refugees International) than any other contestant. Of the field of 16 competitors, Duke survived to compete in the finale against her primary rival throughout the show, Joan Rivers.

As for her poker game and cash play, it is assumed that Annie Duke is one hell of a money maker and probably the best female poker player the world has seen to date.