Who’s the Best? The All-Time Money Leaders in Poker by State, Part One

In the world of poker, there is only one scoreboard that matters – how much money have you won? With this fact in mind (and before the start of the 2025 World Series of Poker), Poker News Daily has headed over to The Hendon Mob poker database with a critical question: Who are the all-time money leaders by state? Sometimes the answer might surprise you as we start (in alphabetical order) with the state of Alabama.

Alabama

There is a name on the list that many haven’t heard in some time. Poker legend Hoyt Corkins has over six million dollars in earnings through his career – but that is only good enough for second place on the list. The top spot for those from Alabama is held by a player who is having one of the best seasons of his career, as evidenced by his performance just last week.

Shannon Shorr has nearly two million dollars in earnings for 2025 alone, including his victories last week at the 2025 U.S. Poker Open, but he did not need these finishes to take the top slot. For his career, Shorr has a pretty secure grasp on the #1 position with $15.6 million in career earnings. Here are the top three players in Alabama poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):

1. Shannon Shorr (Birmingham, AL), $15,651,884
2. Hoyt Corkins (Glenwood, AL), $6,092,620
3. Donovan Dean (Rainsville, AL), $2,258,135

Alaska

Yes, the Last Frontier is represented in the annals of poker history, with another notable veteran putting their name in the mix. The name Perry Green stretches back into the “old days” of poker, with his first Hendon Mob entry for his work at the WSOP (and two bracelet victories in 1976 and 1977). Once again, however, it is a member of the “young guns” who has passed Green for the top honors.

It is another “High Roller” denizen, Adam Hendrix, who has stormed past one of the legends of the game to snatch the #1 position. Hendrix has quietly amassed over eight million dollars in earnings, easily moving past Green and taking the mantle of the all-time leader for Alaskan poker players. Here are the top three players in Alaska poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):

1. Adam Hendrix (Anchorage, AK), $8,014,473
2. Perry Green (Fairbanks, AK), $1,138,503
3. Andrew Rodgers (Anchorage, AK), $1,073,843

(Writer’s note: these are the only three players over a million in earnings from Alaska)

Arizona

This is the first state that we’ve come upon where there is actually a battle ongoing. Only two million dollars separates first from third, and only $3.5 million separates first from fifth place, on the Arizona money list. The name that sits atop the Arizona standings may surprise you, however.

In 2023, Steven Jones finished as the runner-up to Daniel Weinman in the WSOP $10,000 Championship Event (the “Main Event”), scoring a $6.5 million payday. That makes up most of his career earnings and puts him ahead of a frequent name seen on the “High Roller” felt, Nick Pupillo. Here are the top three players in Arizona poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):

1. Steven Jones (Phoenix, AZ), $7,159,062
2. Nick Pupillo (Gilbert, AZ), $5,964,327
3. Jacob Balsiger (Tempe, AZ), $5,059,352

Arkansas

You might not think of Arkansas as a poker-playing hotspot, but the top nine players on its all-time list are all over a million dollars each in earnings. They are led by Daniel Lowery, who has done most of his damage on the WSOP Circuit over the years. Lowery has picked up eighteen WSOP-C rings in his career, putting him behind only Ari Engel and Maurice Hawkins on the all-time list.

Because of those finishes (and some other trips to the final table), Lowery takes the all-time lead in money earned for those from Arkansas. Here are the top three players in Arkansas poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):

1. Daniel Lowery (Peter Pender, AR), $3,793,775
2. Nitis Udornpim (Bentonville, AR), $1,867,561
3. Michael Lech (Alma, AR), $1,705,927

California

We have reached the first of our most populous states and, as expected, there are several familiar names at the top of the all-time money leaders list. Dominating them all is Poker Hall of Famer Brian Rast, who has used his skills on the “High Roller” circuit to stake himself to a $27 million-plus stack of cash. Rast cannot get comfortable, however, because the names behind him can catch him because of their own “High Roller” performances.

It might surprise some that David ‘Chino’ Rheem is currently the second-best all-time on the Golden State list, with almost $16.5 million in career earnings to his credit. In another surprise, J.C. Tran is the man in the third-place slot due to his career performance. Here are the top three players in California poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):

1. Brian Rast (Poway, CA), $27,790,186
2. David ‘Chino’ Rheem (Los Angeles, CA), $16,505,812
3. J.C. Tran (Sacramento, CA), $13,476,069

(Writer’s note: Fourth place on the Cali list? Former World Champion Jamie Gold, whose 2006 windfall of $12 million for winning the WSOP Main Event is basically his entire $12,648,072 in career earnings)

That is five down, forty-five to go! We will continue to examine the top all-time money leaders in poker history by state…who do you think will be there?