Roy Cooke spent 16 years of his life as a professional poker player, residing in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Misty since 1984. Most of Cooke’s lucrative earnings have come from cash games and regular poker tournaments, while his live tournament career has only proffered a career total of $21,115.

Cooke began his professional poker career in his hometown of Seattle, Washington, where bet sizes were limited by state law. After finding much success, but not enough profit as he’d have liked, Roy and his wife Misty made the big move to Las Vegas. Roy Cooke spent many years raking in the profits in Vegas casino poker rooms before turning to real estate in 1989. Since then, Roy and Misty have assisted in the purchase/sale of more than $100 million in real estate.

These days, Roy Cooke is best known for his poker related writing skills. Cooke has a regular column in Card Player Magazine, with articles constantly popping up in other reputable online poker news pages, as well. Roy Cooke writes poker strategies, tactics and tips, including a highly profiled article on what it takes to become a professional poker player - the hardships, long days (and nights), frequent substance abuse issues and all of the other aspects one would not normally consider before making such a career choice.

Cooke has co-authored several poker books with friend and poker enthusiast John Bond, as well as a few other professional poker players. Cooke’s first book was co-authored by a number of talented poker players - Mike Caro, Bob Ciaffone, Bill Kelly, Ray Leitner, Bill Sykes and Max Shapiro - titled “Card Player Digest: The Best Of Card Player” (1988-1994).

Cooke found immense success when he teamed up with John Bond to pen the October 1999 release of “Real Poker: The Cooke Collection”. Cooke and Bond put their heads together again with their next publication of “Cooke’s Rules of Real Poker” (June 2005), followed by “Real Poker II: The Play of Hands” (December 2005). In 2007, Cooke and Bond penned yet another poker book titled “The Home Poker Handbook”, though it did not receive the same rave reviews as their prior works.

Cooke’s most recent poker book was released a few months ago in February of 2008, co-authored by himself, John Bond and the exception poker pro Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson - “How to Think like a Poker Pro”. The book includes many of Roy Cooke’s articles published between 2000 and 2005, divided between four sections; Philosophy of Life and Poker, Edge, Becoming a Pro, Strategy and Tactics.

On the cover of this latest release, legendary poker pros Doyle Brunson and Daniel Negreanu both spoke their opinions of Roy Cooke’s poker authoring abilities.

Doyle Brunson: “Roy Cooke is one of the only poker writers I find worth reading.”

Daniel Negreanu: “Roy Cooke’s writing is the best limit hold’em advice anywhere… I learned more from reading Roy’s articles in Card Player on limit hold’em than any other source. He does a masterful job of walking you through a hand and teaches you the right way to think about a poker hand.”

Todd Brunson, son of the legendary poker player Doyle Brunson, is himself a professional poker player, having followed in his father’s footsteps. However, his long road to fortune is not what one might suspect, considering his notable lineage.

Born August7, 1969 in El Paso, Texas as Todd Alijondro Brunson, his father did not teach Todd the game of poker when he was young. As Todd Brunson grew older and went off to study law at Texas Tech University, he took it upon himself to learn how to play poker. While his skills did not come from his father as a mentor, they must have been carried in the family genetics, because on his own, Todd Brunson was playing poker well enough to drop out of college his senior year and become a professional poker player. This decision came about when, at the age of 21, Todd Brunson won his first major victory at the Diamond Jim Brady tournament, worth $200,000.

In his early days of poker play, Todd earned the nickname “Darkhorse” for coming into a poker tournament as an irrelevant underdog. After outlasting most of the players, including Chip Reese, the title was bestowed upon the young poker pro, and has stuck ever since.

Young Brunson was earning 4- and 5-digit cashes in live poker tournaments from 1991 to 2000 before he ever saw his next 6-digit payoff in a live poker tournament. His greatest victory during these years had been a 2nd place finish at the Jack Binion World Poker Open worth $31,792. Later in the same poker series, however, Todd went heads-up against Ronnie Williams in the Main Event (April 2000), but fell shy of a 1st place victory. He did earn his first sizable paycheck in quite some time, though, taking home $119,310.

Todd Brunson continued to cash consistently in live poker tournaments over the next several years, including his first final table take down at the Bellagio in a PL Hold’em tournament. Brunson earned $27,280 for his skilled efforts.

On June 25, 2004, Todd Brunson earned his second 1st place victory, along with his second 6-digit prize of $158,861 for eliminating the field at the Festa al Lago II NL Hold’em poker tournament.

In 2005, Todd Brunson finally gained the respect and admiration he so long deserved, claiming the coveted gold Bracelet and pocketing $255,945 for a 1st place finish at the 2005 WSOP in a Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event.

In 2006, Todd won the Poker Superstars 2 quarter-finalist Freeroll tournament after defeating Ted Forrest in heads-up play for a whopping $500,000. Todd Brunson’s success has continued, cashing multiple times every year in various live poker tournaments. Brunson just recently placed 292nd in Event #2 of the 2008 WSOP for $3,486.

All told, Todd Brunson has earned more than $3 million in poker tournament cashes, though his most lucrative victories have come from cash games. According to the 2005 poker book, ‘The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King’, Todd Brunson pocketed more than $13.5 million in two days playing heads-up $50k/$100k Limit Hold’em.

Todd often quips at his father, criticizing his poker play even during a tournament. Doyle was quoted with the affectionate response, “I know, Todd. I’m the idiot who sired a genius.” According to Todd, his father always calls after a big tournament to ask how young Brunson did in the event. If he won, the response is always the same, “I played, didn’t I?”

Todd “Darkhorse” Brunson can also be found playing online poker at PokerStars under the username “Sam Grizzle”.

Billy Baxter is a well established professional poker player with 7 WSOP Bracelets under his belt, all won in Lowball poker tournaments. Not quite 70 years of age, Baxter has accumulated $1,758,341 playing live poker tournaments, having cashed 44 times over his lucrative career.

Born in Augusta, Georgia in 1940, Billy Baxter grew up as a successful hustler. He realized he had a talent for hustling at the age of 14, had saved up $5,000 by 16 and upon turning 18, made his way into the local taverns where he discovered his true calling - the game of poker.

Billy Baxter took a honeymoon trip with his new wife in 1975 that landed them in Las Vegas, Nevada on the return flight. For the next nine months, Baxter and his bride lived in a Las Vegas hotel as Billy was earning a living at the poker tables. It was during this time that Billy cashed in his first live poker tournament - the 1975 WSOP Event #4 NL 2-7 Lowball - earning $35,000 and his first WSOP Bracelet.

Also during these profitable escapades, Baxter met up with other professional poker players including Doyle Brunson and Puggy Pearson. He also became friends with Stu Ungar, who he would eventually end up staking at the poker tables from 1990 until Ungar’s untimely death in 1998.

Baxter’s next live tournament cash did not come until the 1978 WSOP, taking down the first event for $90,000 and his second WSOP Bracelet. Billy repeated this victory in 1982, winning the same event, this time earning $48,750 and his third WSOP Bracelet. To ice the cake, Baxter went on to win Event #2 as well, collecting his fourth WSOP Bracelet the very next day, along with another $95,000.

At the 1987 WSOP, Baxter again won the second event, another NL 2-7 Lowball worth $153,000 and yet another (fifth) WSOP Bracelet. Over the following years, Baxter cashed several more times, earning enough to sustain a luxurious lifestyle, but his next 1st place victory, resulting in a sixth WSOP Bracelet, did not come until the 1993 WSOP - once again, a NL 2-7 Lowball tournament worth $130,500.

In 2002, Billy Baxter earned his seventh, and thus far final, WSOP Bracelet in a Limit Razz event, pocketing $64,860 along the way. Baxter’s career has seen a steady influx of lucrative cashes in live poker tournaments each and every year since.

Baxter’s most recent, significant win in a live poker tournament came on April 7th and 14th of 2008 at the Five Star World Poker Classic of WPT Season 6. Billy finished 1st in Event #6, NL Hold’em, earning $149,755, then again at Event #12, a Seniors NL Hold’em tournament awarding $138,990.

Though his professional poker career has earned him both fame and fortune, Billy Baxter is perhaps best known for “William E. Baxter Jr. versus the United States”, a court case decided in 1986. Baxter fought the US governments’ decision to place poker winnings under “unearned income”, inciting up to 70% taxation on such earnings. Baxter was determined to change the laws, and did so when he won the case. Since then, professional poker players have been able to claim poker winnings as “earned income”.

Michael McDonald is one of today’s youngest professional poker players at the ripe age of 18. At such a young age, his career earnings are already incredibly impressive at $1,547,304. Most of this came from a live poker tournament victory that stunned the poker community as McDonald became the young poker player to ever win a European Poker Tour (EPT) event.

Born September 11, 1989 in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) Michael McDonald first started playing poker in 2003. McDonald’s earlier exploits came from playing online poker under the username “Timex”. While his true goal in life is to start up his own investment company, playing poker has certainly gotten McDonald off to an excellent beginning.

Michael’s first live poker tournament win came at the 2007 EPT Main Event in Prague on December 12. Barely 18 years of age, Michael finished the tournament 14th overall, collecting $28,280 for his skilled efforts. In January of 2008, McDonald continued his success at the Crown Aussie Millions preliminaries with a 2nd place finish in NL Hold’em Event #1. Michael pocketed $75,610 after losing in heads-up play to Vincent Wan.

Michael was not done with the 2008 Aussie Millions just yet. Only seven days later, in Event #11 PokerPro NL Hold’em, Michael ousted the entire field to claim his inaugural 1st place victory worth $29,876. Event #13 of the Aussie Millions - the Heads Up Championships held another five days later - earned McDonald a 6th place purse of $17,600.

As non-fiction fairy-tale-type stories go, Michael McDonald’s had only just began. One month later, on February 2, 2008, McDonald found himself seated at the EPT German Open of Season 4, in Dortmund, Germany. The skills of this fresh young poker pro were vividly apparent as he outlasted an entire field of 411 participants to become the youngest poker player to ever win an EPT title. At 18, it is highly unlikely McDonald’s name will ever be stricken from the books, either - certainly not anytime soon. McDonald’s historic win resulted in a massive cash of $1,381,728.

On the downside, there are a multitude of events on the European Poker Tour that young Michael will not be able to qualify for, due to his age. None the less, we can expect to see Michael McDonald in plenty of lucrative, age-applicable poker tournaments before his 21st birthday.

It is simply amazing that at the youthful age of 18, the impeccable talents of Michael McDonald have already earned him more than $1.5 million in live poke tournaments alone. It will be most interesting to see watch McDonald’s budding career further blossom over the coming years.

Brandon Cantu is a young American professional poker player whose career live tournament wins already include both a WSOP Bracelet (2006) and a WPT title (2008); a claim not many poker pros can make. Cantu plays the occasional online poker game, but considers live cash games and tournaments to be his “bread and butter”.

Born in Vancouver, Washington in May of 1981, Brandon Cantu’s career began only a few years ago. Now at the age of 27, Cantu has already pocketed more than $2,000,000 in live tournament earnings, not to mention his cash game victories.

The first live poker tournament win for Brandon Cantu was one for the record books, entering Event #2 of the 2006 WSOP, $1,500 NL Hold’em. Brandon strove throughout, winding down table after table to take down the tournament for an impressive first live tournament cash of $757,839; not to mention earning the coveted WSOP Bracelet.

Brandon collected three more cashes over the course of the year, including a 1st place victory at the Ultimate Poker Challenge for $9,400, followed by a 2nd place finish at the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic of WPT Season 5, worth another $136,835.

2007 was another lucrative year for Cantu, but came with no championships or jewelry. Brandon cashed in seven live poker tournaments; his largest being a 2nd place finish at the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge in November. Cantu earned $26,250 for the near win, completing the year’s profit of $72,209.

As 2008 rolled around, Brandon again found himself cashing in multiple live poker tournaments, but nothing to write home about. That is, until March 14, 2008 when Cantu successfully ousted the entire field at the WPT Season 6 Bay 101 Shooting Start NL Hold’em Championships, collecting a cool $1,000,000 for the 1st place victory.

Cantu’s goal at this point is to win the “Triple Crown” by claiming an EPT title to go along with his WSOP Bracelet and WPT title win. Thus far, Gavin Griffin is the only professional poker player to have accomplished such a goal.

Bertrand Grospellier is a French professional gamer and poker player residing in South Korea. Though his young career began in the gaming sector, having finished in the top 5 in the World Cyber Games competition 3 times, Bertrand turned his attentions to playing poker in 2005, where he found enormous success. In his 3 years of live poker tournament play, Bertrand Grospellier has already earned more than $2.5 million at the tables.

Grospellier has a quick mind and even quicker reaction time, granting him a natural talent for gaming, as is evident in his seven gaming championship accomplishments from the year 2001 to 2004. Bertrand best finish was a 1st place victory at the 2003 Euro Cyber Games in Paris, France. He also took 2nd in the 2001 World Cyber Games, and 2nd again in the Ongamenet WarCraft Retail League.

By 2005, Bertrand Grospellier’s interested had shifted unanimously to the game of poker. His online poker username drew quick attention, and it wasn’t long before Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier was a well known threat to contend with. Grospellier’s first live tournament cash was earned in February of 2005 during the French Open, EPT/PokerStars Season 1, making the final table but finishing soon after in 9th position. Grospellier pocketed $2,621 for this initial live tournament achievement, and the story only gets better from there.

Bertrand entered the 2006 World Series of Poker, where he collected $10,478 for a 37th place finish in an early No Limit Hold’em event. A few months later, Bertrand was back on the EPT road of season 3, taking a seat at the 17th European 7 Card Stud Championship, deemed “The Big One”. A 16th place finish earned Grospellier another $16,485.

While Bertrand Grospellier’s tournament cashes were becoming slowly but progressively more lucrative, his next purse would be significantly more impressive than any prior. Still following the EPT Season 3, Bertrand entered the Scandinavian Open in January of 2007. Grospellier not only made the final table, but went heads-up with Magnus Pettersson of Sweden for the title. Grospellier’s luck ran out before the day was over, but his 2nd place victory awarded a substantial purse of $406,726, along with the much deserved respect of the world.

Bertrand Grospellier would go on to cash 5 more times during 2007, including one EPT3 event, three WSOP events and the first annual Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in Macau. His best finish was at the APPT in November, taking 9th place for $48,576.

In the most grand exploit of his short but exceptional poker career, Bertrand Grospellier took down the entire field at the 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure of EPT Season 4. On January 10, Grospellier won the No Limit Hold’em tournament, letting the world know that he truly was a force to be reckoned with as he accepted his largest tournament cash to date, $2,000,000.

Grospellier’s online poker adventures have earned him fame as well. At PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, Grospellier is known across the boards as “ElkY”. In terms of VIP ranking, “ElkY” was the first member of PokerStars to ever earn the Supernova status by accumulating 100,000 player points in only 2 weeks time. He then went on to collect more than 1,000,000 points in 4-1/2 months, gaining him Supernova Elite status.

It should come as no surprise that Bertrand is a member of Team PokerStars, an elite group of professional poker players with phenomenal skills, proven time and again. With so few years as a professional poker player under his belt, at the age of 27, Grospellier is well on his way to becoming one of the top poker players in the world. All told, Bertrand has cashed in 12 live tournaments with only the one 1st place finish thus far, but $2,664,153 to show for it.