World Poker Tour

Jerry Buss

Birthplace
Salt Lake City, Utah

Hometown
Los Angeles, CA

Birthday
November 30

Total Winnings
$40,000

Jerry Buss has worn many hats since his birth in Salt Lake City, Utah. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wyoming and a Ph.D. in chemistry from USC in Los Angeles. He worked as an educator before he went into real estate in the 1970s. In 1979, Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings. Since then, he has bought and sold several sports franchises, but he and his family still head up the Lakers.

Buss says his mother taught him to play poker nearly sixty years ago. Through the years, he's been mainly a high-stakes cash game player. Even in a home game, a $25,000 bet won't make him blink. Buss has been playing more tournaments these days.

During the 1991 World Series of Poker, Buss finished third in a Seven Card Stud event. In 2003, Buss played in the World Poker Tour's Pro-Celebrity Invitational and ended up taking second place. These days, he's still playing in poker tournaments and running the Lakers with his children.