10 Canadian Poker Players Who Broke the Bank

Among the biggest names in the professional poker world, quite a few Canadians have done incredibly well for themselves. Keep reading to find out which top ten Canadian poker players cleaned out the bank—and just how much they earned.

10. Mike Leah ($7 Million)

Torontonian Mike Leah’s poker career took off in 2014 when he ranked 17th on the Global Poker Index. He earned this title thanks to his success at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Asia-Pacific High Roller tournament, which earned him a whopping $600,000. That same year, he won two other WSOP tournaments in Los Angeles.

Mike Leah’s career has skyrocketed since this lucrative launch, thanks to his continued success in amassing major wins through the World Poker Tour (WPT) and the WSOP tournaments. Despite only placing tenth on this list, he’s earned one WSOP bracelet and six rings.

9. Peter Jetten ($9 Million)

While he has yet to win any titles, Peter Jetten has still managed to earn a great deal from his poker career. Though he started playing poker in his teens by gaming online with play money, his success at making significant wins set him on the track to play professionally. He’s taken part in quite a few tournaments within the WPT and WSOP. Jetten’s long-term hope for his poker career is that it will earn him enough never to have to get a “real job.”

8. Sorel Mizzi ($13.2 Million)

While Toronto’s Sorel Mizzi has yet to win any titles or significant recognitions within the poker world, he’s become a high earner. In fact, Mizzi has placed in the top ten in major league poker tournaments, including the World Series of Poker. His successes have allowed him to cash in a great deal of wealth as a professional player.

7. Mike McDonald ($13.3 Million)

Hailing from Waterloo, Ontario, Mike McDonald entered the poker world at the tender age of 16 by playing online. He won his first major tournament, the European Poker Tour (EPT), at just 18 years old, making him the youngest person to have ever won. McDonald’s impressive career earned him the nickname “Bank of Timex,” a play on his online username, Timex, and his habit of winning big. Although he enjoyed a quick rise to poker fame, McDonald retired shortly after setting the EPT record.

6. Jonathan Duhamel ($18 Million)

Jonathan Duhamel of Boucherville, Quebec, transformed himself from a finance school dropout into one of the highest-earning Canadian poker players. In 2010, Duhamel won the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, earning almost $9 million, a WSOP bracelet, and becoming Canada’s first World Series of Poker champion. In 2015, he went on to win two more WSOP bracelets, one in the US and the other in Europe.

5. Michael Watson ($22 Million)

Michael Watson is a Newfoundlander with a math degree who found himself excelling at professional poker. He’s been a European Poker Tour champion twice and a World Poker Tour champion once. He’s also worked his way into top ten placements in many other tournaments, building a significant stockpile of cash from his career thus far.

4. Daniel Dvoress ($29 Million)

For a long time, Mississauga, Ontario, resident Daniel Dvoress was a major earner without titles or awards, placing high in tournaments but never first. All that changed in 2020 when he earned a WSOP bracelet by coming in first at the Millionaire Maker event. In 2023, he added another bracelet to his earnings.

3. Sam Greenwood ($34 Million)

Sam Greenwood began his professional poker career in 2015, leaving his Toronto stock trading days behind. He quickly saw success from the career switch, placing first in 2015’s WSOP No-Limit Hold ‘em event and earning a WSOP bracelet. Since then, he has continued to cash in big at tournaments, earning himself an impressive $34 million.

2. Timothy Adams ($38 Million)

Coming in second place is Timothy Adams, a resident of Burlington, Ontario, who has made a name for himself with his quiet and strategic approach to the game. Throughout his career, he’s earned a WSOP bracelet and has twice won more than $3 million from a single tournament. He achieved these impressive poker earnings through a combination of in-person and online tournaments.

1. Daniel Negreanu ($52 Million)

Topping the list of highest-earning Canadian poker players is Daniel Negreanu. He’s rated the second highest-earning player of all time in the WSOP. His first significant poker victory took place when he was just 23. Since then, he’s continued to dominate the game, raking in winnings and top spots in tournaments, including six WSOP bracelets and one ring.

Beyond his significant winnings at the poker table, he’s also expanded upon his love for the game by writing two books about poker. He also hosts Masterclasses, passing his wisdom and love for the game on to others aspiring to attain poker glory.

Final Thoughts & Honourable Mentions

While poker is no guarantee of becoming a high earner, for these Canadian players, the game was their ticket to making it big. But this isn’t by any means an exhaustive list of Canadians who have excelled at poker. A few other players deserve an honourable mention here, including Kristen Foxen and Xuan Liu, two of the highest-earning Canadian women in poker. Meanwhile, Elton Tsang is a Vancouverite based in Hong Kong who has earned impressive amounts of cash and now continues to hone his game.

These professional players have perfected their craft for years by playing in person and at online casinos. Amateur players who aspire to make it big can build their skills online through vetted and trustworthy gaming sites on casinos.com. Every top player has to start somewhere, and you’ll never know how far your dedication, practice, and passion for the game will take you unless you try.