World Poker Tour

Amnon Filippi “Guts“

Birthplace
New York City

Birthday
June 29

Total Winnings
$1,159,307

East-coast native Amnon Filippi stays out of the limelight as much as possible, relishing in his career and the potential in it but keeping his personal life just that – personal. His early years and his family life remain under wraps. What is known is that he is a competitive person who discovered poker early in life and knew that only through years of study and practice could the game evolve into a career.

Amnon demonstrated much potential through his intense play and aggressive tendencies, and was noticed in Atlantic City by Paul “The Truth” Darden, who took Amnon under his tutelage and coached him to be a tournament player. He began entering tournaments in the Atlantic City area and first cashed in late 2003 through three final tables – two in seven-card stud and one in no-limit hold’em. His consistency was notable, and Paul’s faith in his student continued to grow.

With a particular eye on a World Poker Tour title, Amnon joined the WPT circuit in late 2004 and cashed in his first two events consecutively at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, then the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. His bankroll was increasing with every win, and he became more determined than ever to sit at a WPT final table. In the meantime, however, he took down the biggest win of his career at the Bellagio Challenge Cup in Las Vegas for a first prize of $364,200. In August of 2005, he came close but finished in twelfth place at the Legends of Poker, then less than a year later, he was sitting under the bright lights and cameras of the WPT at the 2006 Borgata Winter Open. He was eliminated in fourth place but took home over $180,000 for his efforts, and the finish only made him more determined to claim a WPT title. Time will tell if he achieves that goal, but the determination to do it is unmistakable.