Matt Waxman

Total Winnings
$782,877

In 2011, Florida pro Matt Waxman did something no other American has ever done—won the Main Event of the WPT Grand Prix de Paris Main Event. The tournament, which has been a stop on the schedule six of the tour’s first ten seasons, tended to be a place for European pros like David Benyamine, Surinder Sunar, and Theo Jorgensen to shine, but Waxman broke the streak by defeating a group of 312 talented payers to pick up the win and the €500,000 payday. It was a career-high score for the then-26 year old Florida Atlantic graduate, who has been popping up all over the US poker circuit since 2008.

In the two years leading up to his WPT title, Waxman put together a strong list of results, including two WSOP final tables, two WPT cashes, two WSOPC Regional Championship final tables, and a WSOPC Circuit Main Event ring from Atlantic City. The New Jersey-born Waxman won $117,797 for the win in New Jersey and kicked off a nine-month stretch where Waxman picked up four six-figure scores, culminating with his big win in Paris.

Like many WPT Champs before him, Waxman’s win before the WPT cameras launched him into an elite echelon of poker pros. Waxman now travels all over the world to play in some of the biggest buy-in events the poker circuit has to offer. With lifetime earnings at more than $1.7 million and counting, this American who won in Paris has proven to be one of the top young players to watch, whose promising career is just getting started.