World Poker Tour

Johan Storakers

Birthplace
Stockholm, Sweden

Birthday
July 17

Total Winnings
$530,300

Today's poker world involves insane amounts of money based almost entirely on no-limit hold'em. In short, today's poker world is a universe away from where Johan Storakers got his poker start. He was sixteen years old and playing seven-card-stud.

Then, he said, "we were playing for pennies."

My, how times change. Since turning pro in 1997, the man from Stockholm Sweden has taken the poker world by storm. Perhaps the hardest part for him was making the decision to turn professional in the first place.

"To decide to be a pro it involves different issues," he said. "I mean, it's not like your mom and dad say, 'yippie!' I mean it's not 100% that you'll make it. You don't have a certain salary every month."

Yet, Storakers has found a way to make it work and find a coveted spot at a World Poker Tour final table.

"I have quite a good strategy right now," he said. "I know that some common pros, they are copying much more of my play."

With more than $1 million in poker winnings under his belt, more and more pros might start paying this Swedish standout even more attention.