Steve Blay (born January 12, 1973, in Jacksonville, Florida) is a poker author, inventor, and poker executive. He is the founder of AdvancedPokerTraining.com, and holds a patent in the creation of computer poker players and poker training software. [1] He served as poker advisor to 2016 World Series of Poker champion Qui Nguyen. [2]
Blay attended the University of Florida and holds a degree in Computer Engineering. [3] In 2017, he co-authored From Vietnam to Vegas: How I Won the World Series of Poker Main Event with Qui Nguyen. [4]
In 2012, Blay was awarded a patent for his technique of “Dynamic Analysis” to improve the play of computerized poker opponents. [1] His website Advanced Poker Training is a reduction to practice of this concept. [3]
Using Blay’s software, professional poker players such as Scotty Nguyen, Jonathan Little, David Williams, Ed Miller, and Scott Clements have released training material. In 2014, pioneer poker theorist Mike Caro became the Chief Strategist for Advanced Poker Training. [5]
In 2016, Blay’s software was used by PokerNews to run AI simulations of the remaining nine players competing for the World Series of Poker Championship (known as the November Nine). These predicted a victory by Qui Nguyen. [6] [7] When Nguyen heard of these results, he flew Blay out to Las Vegas to help him prepare for the final table. After Nguyen’s WSOP victory, D&B publishing reached out to Nguyen and Blay to share their story. The book analyses 170 hands from the final table, with Blay contributing the mathematical analysis. [8]
In 2017, Blay directed the Secrets of the World Champions seminar at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. He also produced a series of hand review videos with 2017 World Series of Poker Champion Scott Blumstein. In 2018, Blay took part in a panel discussion at US Special Operations Command (US-SOCOM), regarding the usage of artificial intelligence and machine learning for the benefit of US Elite Special Forces.
In 2019, Blay released OmahaPokerTraining.com, demonstrating pot-limit omaha virtual opponents, also based on his research. [9]
In 2020, Blay appeared in the movie Poker Queens, a movie about gender disparities in poker. He served as advisor to one of the women poker players featured in the film. [10]
Blay is a certified chess coach, [11] poker tournament director, [12] and does personal poker coaching. He also writes monthly articles for Ante Up Magazine [13] and D&B Poker Magazine. [14]
Blay, Steve; Nguyen, Qui (2017). From Vietnam to Vegas: How I Won the World Series of Poker Main Event with Qui Nguyen. D&B Poker Publishing. ISBN 1909457809.
Phillip Dennis Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eleven World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title, and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables. Ivey is regarded by numerous poker observers and contemporaries as the best all-around player in the world. In 2017, he was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame.
Howard Henry Lederer is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Series of Poker bracelets and holds two World Poker Tour titles. Lederer has also contributed to several books on poker strategy and has provided commentary for poker programming. He is known by poker fans and players as "The Professor" and is the older brother of professional poker player Annie Duke.
Gregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.
Thomas James "T. J." Cloutier is a professional poker player from Richardson, Texas. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006. Cloutier was also briefly a professional football player in the Canadian Football League.
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player who is a five-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 World Series of Poker $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship. He is the first and only player to win both the WSOP Main Event and $50,000 Players' Championship.
Thomas K. McEvoy is a professional poker player, author and member of the Poker Hall of Fame, 2013 inductee. He is best known for winning the 1983 World Series of Poker Main Event.
Men "The Master" Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player.
Michael Matusow is an American professional poker player residing in Henderson, Nevada. Matusow's nickname of "the Mouth" reflects his reputation for trash-talking at the poker table.
Steve Zolotow is an American businessman and professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada. He has won two bracelets at the World Series of Poker. He was one of the regulars at the famed Mayfair Club while he lived in New York City.
Ivo Donev is a Bulgarian, with Austrian passport, who is a professional chess and poker player.
John Anthony Cernuto also known as Miami, is an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada, specialising in Omaha hi-lo events. Cernuto has won over $6,200,000 in live tournament winnings, his largest score was for $259,150 from his $2,000 No Limit Hold'em bracelet victory in the 1997 World Series of Poker.
Robert Paul "Eskimo" Clark was an American professional poker player who lived in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Matt Savage is an American poker Tournament Director and is the Executive Tour Director of the World Poker Tour. He has officiated over 400 episodes of televised poker, a record, including the World Series of Poker (2002–2004) and WPT (2002-2019). He is still a TD at Commerce Casino, Bay 101, and Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Other events Savage has overseen include Ultimate Poker Challenge, Poker Dome Challenge, and King of Vegas. He has also worked with networks Fox News, FSN, Travel Channel, NBC, and ESPN and served a prominent roll in the Warner Brothers movie "Lucky You" alongside Eric Bana and Robert Duvall.
Gary Benson is a professional poker player and sports bettor. He has won a World Series of Poker bracelet in addition to other titles as a poker player.
Jason DeWitt is a professional poker player from Mishawaka, Indiana, who won the 2010 World Series of Poker $5,000 No Limit Hold'em event. and the 2016 World Series of Poker $1,500 Millionaire Maker.
The Poker Players Championship is a $50,000 buy-in event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Added in the 2010, it replaced the former $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship as the highest-stakes mixed-games event. It is considered among the most prestigious events on offer at the WSOP.
Viacheslav Zhukov is a Russian professional poker player who has won two World Series of Poker bracelets. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Zhukov was a geologist in Russia. As of 14 March 2024, he has career earnings of over $1,900,000, where over $1,700,000 has been earned at the World Series of Poker.
Qui Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada. He won the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event, earning $8,005,310.
James Obst is a poker player from Adelaide, Australia, and a World Series of Poker bracelet winner. He attended St Peter's College in Adelaide.
Loren Klein is a professional poker player who has won four World Series of Poker bracelets. He began playing online in about 2007 and began live play in 2011 following Black Friday in 2011. He won World Series of Poker bracelets at the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 World Series of Poker. Klein was the third player to win bracelets in three consecutive years since the poker boom.