World Poker Tour

Joe Pelton

Birthplace
Waterloo, IA

Hometown
Newport Beach, CA

Birthday
July 20

Total Winnings
$1,906,390

Iowa farm boy turned Newport Beach millionaire, Joe Pelton has shown the poker community that he isn't a tenderfoot. Most recently he's held his own in two World Poker Tour events, but before that Joe had started playing poker with his college buddies and on the internet. After doing that for a few years he decided to take the plunge and commit to a huge buy-in at the Aruba Poker Classic where he made some cash. With that success under his belt, Joe, who is a business analyst, kept using his logic skills to his advantage at the felt. He is still active in the financial markets so we'll have to wait and see if his winnings are invested in the stock exchange or his poker bankroll.

Pelton has said that his game is loose and aggressive and that he likes to get into a lot of pots. When he played on the internet he found the fast pace easier but since tournament play is slower he tries to build his chips early or get out early. Joe loves the competition of playing poker but feels a lot of his game is luck. He says the difference is that he has the skill to put himself in the right place at the right time for the luck to strike. During the last three years Pelton had picked up some small tournament prizes but in late 2006 he hit the jackpot!