World Poker Tour

Allen Cunningham

Hometown
Las Vegas, NV

Birthday
March 28

Total Winnings
$849,049

Allen Cunningham was born in Riverside, California. He started playing poker at a young age around the kitchen table with his family. Later, he played with his friends in high school and college. Cunningham went to UCLA to study civil engineering, but he never lost his passion for cards. As soon as he turned 18, he started playing poker at Indian casinos. He lived at home with his parents, went to school, and delivered pizza. All the while, his love for the game of poker was growing.

When he was 19, Cunningham left UCLA to play poker professionally. He continued to hone his skills at the Indian casinos, because he wasn't old enough to get into any others. When he turned 21, Cunningham was ready to attack the tournament circuit. Unfortunately, he didn't have any major wins in his first year as a pro. That soon changed. He finished in the top ten of six tournaments at the 1999 Legends of Poker in Los Angeles. He was also named "Best All-Around Player." He went on to win the Seven-Card Stud tournament at the U.S. Poker Championship that same year.

Cunningham won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2001. Again, Seven-Card Stud was his game. He's won a total of four WSOP bracelets in various events. His biggest cash came in 2006 at the WSOP. He finished 4th in the Main Event and took home $3,628,513. In 2005, Cunningham was named the ESPN/Toyota Player of the Year. His fellow pros voted him Best All-Around Player Under 35. Cunningham placed third in the inaugural World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris, and he made the final table in season four at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods Resort Casino. As of 2006, he had taken home more than $8.4 million in live tournament winnings.