Poker and Cybersports: Can They Be Combined?
Poker has been around for numerous years, and we are all familiar with the name. Some play free slots online without downloading after work, and some sit at the virtual poker table. Likewise, cybersport is a name we might have heard of but are unsure what it entails. Briefly, cybersport includes computer games where two or more teams compete against each other on various video game platforms. In cybersport, you can compete in a team of 2 or more or choose to play individually. Many players end up turning their hobby into a career. Players who are good at the game can earn decent money from the prize funds. In addition, some top players become celebrities and also make extra money by doing endorsements and advertising royalties.
Online Poker is played the same as if you were to play in a land-based venue. However, online Poker makes it much easier for players to participate in poker tournaments from home. Online casinos also offer poker games around-the-clock, which is perfect for different time zones.
Essentially, as poker also can be played online, it is a cybersport discipline. The question gets asked: is it luck or skill to be a successful poker cybersportsman? The response is straightforward: skill. It is a game of skill since it is talent—not luck—that enables players to profit from the game over many months and years.
Top Online Poker Players
So, let us take a look at some of the top online poker players who have successfully carved a career and made a lot of cash while playing online poker.
Joao Vieira
Joao Vieira is one of the most dominant players in the history of high-stakes online poker tournaments. In addition, he has had much success in live tournaments, including winning a bracelet in the $5,000 six-max event at the 2019 World Series of Poker. Still, Joao is better renowned for his success on the internet. Vieira is still considered one of the most successful online players.
The 32-year-old Portuguese poker pro also added a big live victory to his massive seven-figure triumph in a $50,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em high roller at the 2022 WSOP, establishing his position as a significant danger in both disciplines. In addition, Vieira has cashed in over $23 million at online tournaments making his net worth pretty impressive.
Ben Tollerene
Tollerene is an American professional poker player born in 1986. He plays live tournaments and high-stakes online games, winning over $2,600,000 as of 2017. According to Tollerene, he lost $1.7 million to Viktor Blom in a single evening before recovering it all the following day.
Tollerene won almost $7,400,000 on Full Tilt Poker while using the identity Bttech86 and over $3,800,000 while using the alias Ben86 on PokerStars. Ben’s net worth is between $5 – $10 million.
Bertrand Grospellier
Bertrand Grospellier was born in France in 1981 and currently lives in Prague. He is also known as ElkY on the poker circuits. He was a big player in esports, including Warcraft III and StarCraft: Brood war. He turned his hand to professional poker in 2015 and quickly made a name for himself on the circuit. Poker titles under his belt include the World Poker Tour, the World Series of poker bracelet, and a European Poker Tour Title, giving him the esteemed Triple Crown in poker. Only nine players have managed to achieve the triple crown award. He has managed to cash out over $14.5 million during his online poker career.
Sami Kelopuro
Sami was born in Finland in 1987. He started to play poker in late 2005 when he was invited to a game at a friend’s home. Kelopuro quickly caught the poker bug and began playing online. He was still in high school while successfully teaching himself the tricks of playing poker. He devoted many hours to honing his skills. He competes on PokerStars under the screen handle “Lrslzk,” where he has won tournaments worth $5.7 million. Sami’s net worth has been estimated to be around $5 million.