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? Parts One and Two of this series covered the first ten states (alphabetically), so let’s keep it going with the state of Georgia.
Georgia
This is a state that might surprise someone with the quality that is in the top three. Leading the way is one of the “power players” in the poker industry, the founder of PokerGO, Cary Katz. It might have slipped by people, but Katz has also been able to do some damage, especially on the “High Rollers” that his streaming outlet has made such an integral part of the tournament poker circuit.
With more than $40 million in career earnings, Katz captures the top slot for people from the Peach State. But they can also claim the 2023 World Champion, Daniel Weinman, who picked up $12.1 million for that legacy-defining victory. The third-place entry on the list for Georgia might surprise some, but he is a player who has continued to demonstrate his talents for almost thirty years now. Here are the top three players in Georgia poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):
1. Cary Katz (Atlanta, GA), $40,540,997
2. Daniel Weinman (Atlanta, GA), $16,220,654
3. Josh Arieh (Atlanta, GA), $13,843,629
Hawaii
Yes, Hawaii has representation on the all-time money list, and they also have a unique honor in this series. They are the first state to have a female player make it into the Top Three of their countdown. Lisa Hamilton has put together a fifteen-plus-year career in the tournament poker world that has garnered her over $1.4 million in career earnings and the 2009 WSOP Women’s Championship. That is a tenuous spot for Hamilton, however; she is less than $25K ahead of Joshua Suyat for the podium position.
Sitting atop the list is a man who has quietly racked up some nice achievements in the past ten years. Brandon Eisen won the 2018 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open in Hollywood, FL, to earn the majority of his $2.5 million in career earnings. Eisen has also earned big wins at the Wynn Millions, making him pretty sneaky and a danger at the tables! Here are the top three players in Hawaii poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):
1. Brandon Eisen (Mililani, HI), $2,566,250
2. Kainalu McCue-Unciano (Kapolei, HI), $1,772,609
3. Lisa Hamilton (Honolulu, HI), $1,422,034
Idaho
It may come as a surprise that Idaho actually has fewer people on its all-time list than Hawaii does. Idaho might not have a LOT of people on its all-time list, but they do have a couple of familiar names that sit on the top of the mountain.
Dylan Linde is the only person in Idaho poker history who has cracked the eight-digit mark in cashes, racking up almost $11 million in his tournament poker career. He is being chased by a legendary name in the online game, Kevin MacPhee, who hasn’t cashed yet this year. These two men sit in a dominant position over the remainder of the Idahoans all-time money list, of which only two have more than one million in earnings.
1. Dylan Linde (Coeur D’Alene, ID), $10,932,182
2. Kevin MacPhee (Coeur D’Alene, ID), $6,070,660
3. Mike Kinney (Sand Point, ID), $1,392,055
Illinois
In Illinois, the battle is a close one as nearly the entirety of the Top Ten have over five million in career earnings (only #10 Kevin Rabichow is below that, with $4,492,394). The list includes poker Triple Crown winner Gavin Griffin, Jason Wheeler, Brandon Wilson, and Aaron Massey. But none of these men are in the Top Three for Illinois.
Sitting atop the ladder in the Land of Lincoln is Connor Drinan. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner is the only player who has over $10 million in career earnings, and he has a comfortable lead over those in pursuit. Here are the top three players in Illinois poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):
1. Connor Drinan (Chicago, IL), $11,828,858
2. Mohsin Charania (Chicago, IL), $6,577,998
3. Jordan Griff (Schaumburg, IL), $6,071,571
Indiana
As we come to the close of Part Three of our examination of the all-time money leaders by state, we visit the Hoosier State, where a familiar name is in the lead. Back in 2018, John Cynn was a young grinder who had turned some heads with his eleventh-place finish in 2016 in the $10,000 Championship Event (the “Main Event”). After capturing the World Championship, Cynn not only cemented his place in poker history but also sprang to the lead of all Indiana players.
Cynn has slowed down on his playing a bit over the past few years, which means the two men behind him have an excellent shot at going past him. Chad Eveslage and Daniel Sepiol are within a million dollars of taking the slot away from Cynn, making the Indiana race one to watch. Here are the top three players in Indiana poker history (at least by money earned in tournament poker):
1. John Cynn (Indianapolis, IN), $10,214,121
2. Chad Eveslage (Ramsey, IN), $9,493,938
3. Daniel Sepiol (Bloomington, IN), $9,009,263
With that, we are thirty percent of the way through our listings of the top money earners in poker history by state. There are still 35 states – and millions of players – to consider as we count these down before the start of the 2025 WSOP. Who do you think takes your state’s honors for being the all-time money leaders?
