Greg Raymer WSOP winner

Updated 2008/2009
Greg Raymer is pretty much underestimated due to his diminutive nature. He would look more like a person who enjoys life at a slow pace. Raymer himself did not play poker until 1992. Till then he was a blackjack player and also spent some time counting cards in Indian casinos. He stopped after the staff at the casinos started catching on. Raymer turned to poker to avoid trouble and has been avidly involved since then.

Raymer was a patent attorney by profession. He is also known to be a fossil collector and is said to have supplemented his bankroll by selling fossils to other players at the table. For his fossil collecting hobby, he also earned the nick name of ‘Fossilman’. Poker intrigued him and he took to the circuit. He used to read every book on poker and still considers himself a student of the game. When not at the table, he studies videos and live games to learn of new tactics and potential methods to enhance his game.

A satellite tournament win gave Raymer the entry required to the World Championship of Poker in 2004, pretty much just like how Chris Moneymaker came in. At the tournament, he was another of those many newbies who hope to get through the game in the first round. He has an aggressive but subtle playing style which also helps him in fooling his opponents along with his quiet demeanour and endearing appearance. He just does not look the part of an average professional poker player. Arrogance is something that just does not suit his character. He understands the ability of the game to turn and twist causing leaders who are well stacked to get knocked out with just one hand within a span of minutes.

Greg becomes something of a party piece at the table when he dons his opaque holographic sunglasses which work well at preventing others from readings his eyes yet eliciting the occasional smirk from a competitor. Raymer plays slow and works his way through over the game. He always prevailed at every table that he sat at and went up to the final as a chip leader. He was on friendly terms with everyone, shaking hands at all the tables and remained pretty emotional and excited simultaneously.

When he was at the final table, he had several narrow escapes, but his major stacks were never under threat. He took time at making a decision and played a major role in knocking out quite a few of the final table hopefuls before going in for the final. Raymer was steadfast without faltering and was precise with his moves in spite of the numerous hours spent at the tables.

Greg Raymer is known for being his gracious self in spite of being World Series of Poker champion and having had so much fame. The victories have made him a very confident person but have not in the least changed him as a person and he remains as humble as ever at any tournament that he attends. As a champion he had several duties and also several endorsement opportunities that came by. Other than that, he spends countless hours mingling with fans and other people on the street signing autographs and having short conversations. Pokerstars.com advertisements uses footage from a video of his win and this has made Raymer\'s victory dance so famous.

Players like Raymer have had great success and this has fuelled the interest in Poker. Many enthusiasts from all over the country and from varying age groups try to emulate him just like fans do for football or basketball stars. The regular occurrence of unknown folks striking it rich with World Series of Poker has made the game very successful and has been a major driving force. The 2004 main event WSOP winner has had 12 other money finishes. As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,000,000. Though he has never won a World Poker tour but has had 2 money finishes.