Allen Cunningham - Poker Player

Allen Cunningham is an American professional poker player who is ranked amongst the top five money winners of all time. Since the year 2000 in his poker career, Allen Cunningham has won almost every World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. He won his last WSOP bracelets in the year 2007. The total earnings of this legendary poker player is $9,079,706.

Personal Life

Allen Cunningham was born on March 28, 1977 in Riverside, California. He was born to Dean and Joanne Cunningham.

From an early age, Allen Cunningham has acquired the proficiency to play poker by playing around the kitchen table. He was aware of his interest and poker skills from his young age and was itching for the right moment to step into a casino and showcase his poker skills.

Allen went to high school and also pursued civil engineering at UCLA. However, he never lost his interest in the card games and managed to play poker at a tribal local casino even while working as a pizza delivery boy. Interestingly, he won good amount of money in low-limit cash games and freeroll tournaments. Though he built his bankroll but always craved to play tournaments and win titles.

His luck showed favour and during his second year of college when Allen Cunningham started winning tournaments and making cash.

At the age of 18, Allen Cunningham started playing in Indian casinos and eventually he dropped out of college only to play cards full-time. Though he managed to win certain tables but for not being 21 he was unable to real tournaments.

Finally, when Allen Cunningham turned 21 he wasted no time and participated in tournaments only to prove his skills and become a popular and highly admired professional poker player. The first few months he considered to be formative period for him. But, being a passionate poker player he managed to stay in touch with some of the best poker players in the world which includes Daniel Negreanu, Layne Flack, Phil Ivey and John Juanda.

Allen Cunningham at the 1999 Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles showed his proficiency by securing top ten finishes in the six tournaments that brought him the fame as "Best All-Around Player" status.

Allen Cunningham now resides in the beautiful Las Vegas with his beloved girlfriend Melissa Hayden and Muffin, their pet dog.

Tournaments

Allen Cunningham was a passionate poker player and he started playing in Indian Casinos at the age of 18. He was a Full Tilt sponsored pro, he gradually developed his interest and became a regular member of Team Full Tilt in October 2006.

Allen Cunningham became much popular among other poker players for winning the title 2005 ESPN/Toyota Player of the Year. For his excellent proficiency in the game he was voted as the Best All Around Player under 35 by his fellow professional poker players.

Cunningham played in many WSOP and the 2006 World Series of Poker is known as his single largest tournament payout when he secured the fourth place in the Main Event earning $3,628,513.

He was enrolled in a list of players for winning World Series of Poker Bracelet in three consecutive years which he qualified by winning his fifth bracelet in 2007. Poker players who are listed include Erik Seidel, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Bill Boyd and Gary Berland.

His other victories include winning of the $300,000 'Mega Match' on Poker After Dark aired on October 8, 2007. He won the 15,000 buy-in inaugural National Poker League Vegas Open Championship Main Event on 2007 conquering David Singer.

On May 1, 2008, Allen Cunningham with his poker skills won the prestigious 2008 World Series of Poker Circuit event at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. In the same year, he again finished in 117th place at 2008 World Series of Poker.

Till the year 2011, Allen Cunningham has made more than $11,200,000 by wining various live tournaments & thereby placing himself just behind Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, Jamie Gold, Scotty Nguyen, Peter Eastgate, Phil Ivey and John Juanda.

He won five bracelets in WSOP in the following years 2001 ($5,000 Seven-card stud), 2002 ($5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw), 2005 ($1,500 No Limit Hold 'em), 2006 ($1,000 No Limit Hold'em/w Rebuys) and in 2007 ($5,000 Pot Limit Hold'em).