| Matt Berkey | |
|---|---|
 Matt Berkey at WPT at Venetian 2019 | |
| Nickname(s) | berkey11 |
| Residence | Leechburg, Pennsylvania |
| Born | January 29, 1982 |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 30 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | 43rd, 2010 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 8 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 1 |
Matthew Berkey (born January 29, 1982) is an American professional poker player from Leechburg, Pennsylvania who focuses on live no limit hold 'em cash games. [1]
Berkey grew up in Leechburg, Pennsylvania with two siblings and aspired to be a baseball player. His parents struggled financially and were separated. His family received help from his grandparents. By the age of 13 Berkey moved in with his grandparents who pushed him in the right direction. [1] In his youth, Berkey earned the nickname Eeyore, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh . [2]
Originally, Matt Berkey wanted to become a professional baseball player. He even had a chance to take baseball scholarships from colleges, but he turned those opportunities down because of the distance from his hometown.
Berkey attended Gannon University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. [3] While he started playing poker in high school, playing against friends for quarters, it was college where he decided to take the game more seriously. His newfound passion was a product of the Moneymaker Boom.
He went to his closest Indian Casino where he started to grind live cash games, and after graduating from college, Berkey chose his poker career over baseball. [4]
Berkey plays online under the nickname berkey11. Berkey finished 43rd in the 2010 World Series of Poker main event. [5]
In 2013, Berkey finished 3rd in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six Handed event for $199,733. [6] Berkey won the 2015 $25,000 No Limit Hold'em High Roller event at the Aria Casino in December 2015 earning $315,180. [7]
In May 2016, Berkey finished 5th in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl earning $1,100,000. [8]
In 2017, Berkey was regularly seen playing live televised cash games. He finished 5th in 2017 World Series of Poker $1,500 Six-Max No-Limit Hold'em earning $87,141. [9] Berkey started his own poker academy called Solve For Why. The academy intends on hosting a charity event in March 2018. [10] Berkey appeared on Poker After Dark in November 2017 where he lost a $459,000 pot to poker player Garrett Adelstein while holding against Adelstein's . The board came giving both players a set. Both players went all in on the river. [11]
As of 2022, Berkey's total live tournament earnings exceed $4,300,000. [12]
In 2023, Matt Berkey beat high-stakes regular NikAirball for $1,029,700 in a heads-up grudge match. The match was held at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Matt Berkey is the founder of "Solve For Why", a Poker Academy. In 2021 , with Tom Wheton, he announced the creation of "Above The Felt entertainment", a marketing agency for poker, in collaboration with Daren Elias, Chris Moneymaker, & Jamie Kerstetter. [13]
Christopher Bryan Moneymaker, is an American poker player who won the Main Event at the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP). His 2003 win is said to have revolutionized poker because he was the first person to become a world champion after qualifying at an online poker site. This has been referred to in the press as the "Moneymaker effect".
Gustav Hansen is a Danish professional poker player from Copenhagen, Denmark who has lived in Monaco since 2003. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, one WSOP bracelet and the 2007 Aussie Millions main event, and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. Before turning to playing poker professionally in 1997, Hansen was already a world class backgammon player and a youth tennis champion.
Juan Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the first South American Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.
Lee Watkinson is an American professional poker player, originally from Longbranch, Washington.
Joseph Hachem is a Lebanese-Australian professional poker player known for being the first Australian to win the World Series of Poker main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.
John Gale was an English professional poker player based in Bushey, Hertfordshire.
Minh Hoang Ly is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player based in Temple City, California. He is a regular in "The Big Game" and is married to Lu Binh.
Patrik Antonius is a Finnish professional poker player, former tennis player and coach, and model from Vantaa, Finland. He currently resides in Monte Carlo. Antonius was mentored by poker pro Marcel Lüske as a member of Luske's "Circle of Outlaws" and later advised by Jennifer Harman. Antonius has two children.
Mark Vos, also known as 'pokerbok', is a professional poker player from Australia. Vos was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and attended Waldorf High School in Constantia. He excelled at mathematics olympiads while in high school, and represented his province in the interprovincial olympiad. Vos permanently deferred his actuarial studies at Macquarie University, to play poker full-time. Starting out online with limit hold'em in mid-2004, Vos soon turned his attention to no-limit games, and in short time, earned a reputation as being one of the world's top online poker players, such that he can often be found playing in the most expensive cash games and tournaments online. When not travelling the world playing poker, Vos plans to divide his time between Australia and South Africa. In January 2006, Vos finished 8th in the main event of the Crown Australian Poker Championship, winning A$83,600. As of May 2006, Vos represents the Full Tilt Poker online poker cardroom as a friend of Full Tilt Poker. His name is reflected in red on Full Tilt tables.
Annand Mahendra "Victor" Ramdin is a professional poker player with 19 money finishes and the winner of a World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship. He is based in The Bronx, New York and is a member of Team PokerStars.
Joseph "Joe" Tehan is an American professional poker player.
Grant Hinkle is an American poker player who won the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event. He earned $831,462 at the event, bringing his total live tournament winnings to $1,640,843.
Alexandre Gomes is a Brazilian professional poker player. He is a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, a World Poker Tour champion and a former Team PokerStars Pro.
Sanghyon "Joseph" Cheong is a Korean-American professional poker player who is a World Series of Poker bracelet winner and a former finalist at the WSOP Main Event.
Matthew "Matt" Jarvis is a Canadian professional poker player from Surrey, British Columbia, known for his November Nine appearance in the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. He earned his first World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2011 World Series of Poker.
Garrett Adelstein is an American professional poker player from Tucson, Arizona who focuses on live no-limit hold 'em cash games. He appeared on Survivor: Cagayan where he was the second player voted off.
Timofey Kuznetsov is a Russian professional poker player who specializes in online no-limit Texas hold 'em and pot-limit Omaha hold'em cash games.
Byron Kaverman is an American professional poker player from Fort Jennings, Ohio.
Upeshka De Silva is a Sri Lankan-American professional poker player from Katy, Texas. A three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, in 2020 he made the final table of the WSOP Main Event.
Koray Aldemir is a German professional poker player of Turkish descent, born in Berlin and now residing in Vienna, Austria. In 2021, he won the World Series of Poker Main Event for $8,000,000.