As more and more people discover the fun of online poker, the world’s best poker players are becoming increasingly famous. Players like Daniel Negreanu are now household names and feature in commercials for real money poker sites as well as crossing over into mainstream media.
In recent years, the landscape of poker has increasingly diversified to include a wider range of players from around the world. Modern poker now features more women and people of color than ever before.
From GOATs such as Phil Ivey, to trailblazers such as Courtney Kennedy, the first black woman to win a WSOP event, black poker players are now at the forefront of the modern poker scene. With rising stars and content creators, including P’s and Q’s Poker, the future of black players in world poker is looking better than ever!
Read on to discover the five top black poker players of all time!
5. Paul Darden
Launching his career in 2000, Connecticut born Paul Darden is a pioneering black poker player alongside his mentor, Phil Ivey. Darden started his career as seven card stud player and won his first, and to date only, WSOP bracelet in 2001.
‘The Truth’ was a regular into the 2010s but has unfortunately had to reduce his time at the felt in recent years due to his multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
4. Ebony Kenney
A rising star in the world of poker, Ebony Kenney is making a name for herself after a huge $1.7 million win at the 2022 Coin Rivet Invitational, one of the largest wins ever in women’s poker history. As a spokesperson for Americas Cardroom, Kenney is a vocal advocate for increasing the number of women in poker, recently making headlines for leaving an interview with Joe Ingram over derogatory comments.
In addition to her slew of success at the felt, Kenney is a fierce advocate for women’s, black, and LGBTQ+ rights. As of December 2022, Kenney is currently in 16th place in the Women’s All Time Money List and she doesn’t look like she’ll be slowing down any time soon.
3. David Williams
With over $9 million in total earnings, David Williams exploded onto the WSOP scene in 2004 when he leveraged his success in online poker rooms into success at the felt. Williams made it all the way to the final two and, while ultimately unsuccessful, walked away with $3.5 million. Williams won his one and only WSOP bracelet two years later in the 2006 $1,500 seven card stud event.
Beyond the world of poker, Williams has enjoyed an eclectic life. He actually started out as a competitive Magic: The Gathering player before being disqualified in 2001 after being accused of using marked cards in tournament play. Williams also appeared on the seventh season of Gordon Ramsay’s MasterChef where he finished as joint runner up. So clearly Williams has a future in the kitchen if he decides to fold his cards permanently.
