Toto Leonidas “The Ripper“

Birthplace
Philippines

Hometown
Los Angeles, CA

Total Winnings
$254,574

Alfredo "Toto" Leonidas is a man who knows what he wants. He also, however, is a man who recognizes that wanting something and being able to do it are different things. Early in life, he fancied himself a basketball player. Though he had the skills, he didn't have one crucial thing: the height. Born in the Philippines, he moved to California and found an avenue to success that had nothing to do with how tall he was.

When he settled in the Los Angeles area, Leonidas found himself frequenting the card rooms. He didn't move fast. He played as many games as he could and slowly built a bankroll. He was a quiet young man and let his aggressive playing style do all the talking for him. Big raises and big bluffs drew a lot of attention. People started calling him "The Ripper." His style figured well into tournament play. Beginning in the year 2000, he started putting together big wins in a variety of different games. He won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2003 in the $1,000 Seven Card Stud Event. That year, he put together an impressive number of five-figure wins before hitting the big time with a $388,080 first-place finish in the 2003 United States Poker Championship.

Since then, Leonidas has continued to impress the poker world with big finishes and big paydays. He placed third in the 2005 Professional Poker Tour event at the Shooting Star and nearly won another WSOP bracelet in 2005, placing second in a limit hold'em event. While he may never have made it as a basketball player, it's clear Leonidas figured out what he wanted and turned himself into a first-rate poker success.