Steve Simmons

Birthplace
Watertown, NY

Total Winnings
$347,916

In the poker world, there are tournament players, cash game players, and players that have found a way to make the two disciplines work seamlessly. For a long time, Steve Simmons considered himself solely a cash game player. "The tournaments are depressing," Simmons said. "If you don't get first, second, or third, you know, it is not a fun thing. Mentally it can get you down." After dabbling in real estate for a while, Simmons discovered the only life he could lead was the one at the poker felt. Six days out of every week, Simmons bellies up to the tables at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, California and builds his bankroll on a foundation of no-limit cash games. Simmons runs his poker life like a business. He calculates his hourly rates and how much money he stands to win grinding it out at the tables. Still, even a good businessman knows what a big score on the World Poker Tour can do for the bankroll. "Hourly you are going to make more money in the cash games," he said, "but if you win a tournament of this magnitude, it is all-worthwhile. It is worth all the hours." With a World Poker Tour final table under his belt, Simmons can now look forward to running his personal poker life in whatever way he chooses. He can stick to cash games or play tournaments. In short, he should never have to answer to the man. "I like playing poker because you are your own boss," he said. "I know that I am one of the better players and I know that I am going to come out ahead in the long run."