Biography
Vivek Rajkumar is a former professional Indian poker player known as Balck Magic in the online poker world. He played from 2006 to 2010 and has won over $8 million in live poker tournaments. Let’s dive into his poker career.
Background
Vivek Rajkumar was born in India and was brought up in Singapore. After graduating, he studied Computer Engineering at the University of Washington and moved to Seattle, United States. He then worked as a software engineer at Microsoft. Vivek was keen on gaming, sports betting, social media, and computer hardware. His interest in gaming led him to participate in small poker tournaments in the United States. And that’s how Vivek began his career in poker in 2006 and became a professional poker player.
Poker Career
Vivek had a reputation as a fearless MTT grinder in the online poker community. In 2007, he played in the World Series of Poker for the first time and cashed five times. He even finished sixth in the $3,000 Limit Hold'em event.
In 2008, he won the $2,595 buy-in event at the L.A. Poker Classic and took home $113,425. In September 2008, he became the World Poker Tour (WPT) champion. He played in the $10,000 WPT Borgata Open Open and took $1,424,500 home.
In 2011, he came close twice, winning the WPT and WSOP. He finished second in the $10,000 L.A. Poker Classic and won $908,730. He finished fourth in the $10,000 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars event and won $295,800. He finished fourth in the $100,000 Super High Roller event and won $336,240.
In 2011, he stepped away from professional poker and retired to play the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main event from 2012 to 2015. He cashed three times. In 2019, he finished fifth in the £1,050,000 Triton Million for Charity event and won his career-best £3,000,000.
Winnings in World Poker Tour
| Tournament | Season | Winnings |
|---|---|---|
|
WPT World Championship Super High Roller |
2010-2011 |
|
|
WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star |
2010-2011 |
$295,800 |
|
WPT L.A. Poker Classic |
2010-2011 |
$908,730 |
|
WPT L.A. Poker Classic |
2009-2010 |
$39,336 |
|
WPT Festa al Lago |
2009-2010 |
$39,760 |
|
WPT Bellagio Cup V |
2009-2010 |
$23,245 |
|
WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star |
2008-2009 |
$30,000 |
|
North American Poker Championship |
2008-2009 |
$49,450 |
|
WPT Borgata Poker Open |
2008-2009 |
$1,424,500 |
|
Doyle Bruson Five Diamond World Poker Classic |
2007-2008 |
$57,815 |
|
North American Poker Championship |
2006-2007 |
$33,805 |
Winnings in WSOP Events
| Tournament | Season | Winnings |
|---|---|---|
|
Triton Super High Roller Series London Triton Million - A Helping Hand for Charity |
2019 |
£3,000,000 |
|
World Series of Poker Event #62: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event |
2013 |
$42,990 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event |
2012 |
$28,530 |
|
World Series of Poker Event #35: $10,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship |
2010 |
$38,424 |
|
World Series of Poker Event #17: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em |
2010 |
$25,386 |
|
PokerStars.com EPT London £5,000 EPT London Main Event |
2009 |
£ 38,000 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 54: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em |
2009 |
$40,350 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 49: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em |
2008 |
$13,727 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 23: $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em |
2008 |
$7,583 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 1: $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em World Championship |
2008 |
$26,470 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 52: $1,000 No Limit Holdem w/ rebuys |
2007 |
$45,173 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 34: $3,000 Limit Holdem |
2007 |
$36,763 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 28: $3,000 No Limit Holdem |
2007 |
$6,163 |
|
World Series of Poker Event 22: $5,000 No Limit Holdem |
2007 |
$17,172 |
Vivek Rajkumar's Five Biggest Live Results
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Rank | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aug 2019 |
Triton Million for Charity |
£1,050,000 |
5th |
£3,000,000 ($3,652,345) |
|
Sep 2008 |
WPT Borgata Poker Open |
$10,000 |
1st |
$1,424,500 |
|
Feb 2011 |
WPT L.A. Poker Classic |
2nd |
$908,730 |
- |
|
Feb 2009 |
L.A. Poker Classic Heads-Up Championship |
$10,000 |
1st |
$350,000 |
|
May 2011 |
Five Star Poker Classic Super High Roller |
$100,000 |
4th |
$336,240 |
Vivek Rajkumar’s Net Worth
Vivek's total live earnings are $8,080,012.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Vivek Rajkumar born and brought up?
He was born in India and grew up in Singapore.
Where did Vivek work before becoming a professional poker player?
He worked as a software engineer at Microsoft.
When did Vivek begin his career in poker?
He began his career in poker in 2006.
What is Vivek Rajkumar's biggest winning at a WPT event?
He won $1,424,500 at the WPT Borgata Poker Open 2008-2009.
How much did Vivek win at the WSOP Main Event in 2013?
He won $42,990 at the WSOP Main Event.
What is Vivek Rajkumar's biggest winning in a WSOP event?
His biggest winning in a WSOP event was £3,000,000 at the Triton Super High Roller Series London in 2019.
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