World Poker Tour

Patrik Antonius

Hometown
Helsinki, Finland

Total Winnings
$1,309,902

Always a competitive child growing up in Finland, it was natural that Patrik Antonius would master the sport of tennis and aim for a professional career. However, a back injury put an end to those dreams and left him with a future as a male model, something he enjoyed for a time but found little excitement in modeling as it lacked the competitiveness of sports. His chiseled looks allowed him to make money effortlessly, but one day, he happened upon a poker tournament and found the challenge that he had been seeking. He used his modeling income to fund his poker games until his improving skills allowed him to begin to win.

When Patrik first found success in tournaments in 2005, there seemed to be no turning back. His goal was to be the very best in poker, though he chose not to read books to improve his game. Instead, he learned through the experience of playing " win or lose " and studied intently the plays of his opponents, even after the games were over. He began playing online and traveling the world to find the most lucrative and prestigious tournaments, working hard to make his mark on the poker industry.

Patrik finished 12th at the WPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in 2005, then 15th at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars event two months later. While poker fans took notice of his looks, players couldn't help but admire his aggressive play, calm demeanor, and sincere intensity at the tables. In the summer of 2005, he won the Ladbrokes Scandinavian Poker Championships in Stockholm and the EPT Baden Classic, and he placed third in the EPT main event in Barcelona. Back in the U.S. at the end of 2005, he made it to his first WPT final table at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic where he placed second and took home over a million dollars. Patrik still jets around the world and the Internet seeking the highest buy-in games possible, but he is currently building a home in Las Vegas to be at the center of the poker world. He receives personal poker advice from Jennifer Harman and others in the Big Game at Bellagio, and according to a number of the best players in the world, poker hasn't yet seen the great things that Patrik Antonius can do.