Allen Cunningham

Poker player biography of Allen Cunningham

Born on March 28, 1977, Allen Cunningham is an American professional poker player who learned to love the game at a young age. He played poker with his family members and knew even then that he had a knack for winning card games. More often than not, he beat his family members and was actually waiting for the day when he would be old enough to go to a casino and play against more challenging opponents.

Tracing Allen Cunningham's roots

After graduating from high school, Cunningham attended UCLA, where he decided to pursue a degree in civil engineering. While he was living with his parents, he got a job as a pizza delivery boy and spent his free time at a local tribe casino. That was where he built up his bankroll by playing in freeroll tournaments and low-limit cash games. He enjoyed moderate success in playing poker but he saw it as merely a hobby that could earn him a little more money.

During his second year of college, though, things started to change for Cunningham. He began winning tournaments and cash games. By then, he thought of switching from the usual $2-$4 games he often played to the $10-$20 games, which were more substantial. From then on, Cunningham played more and more games. At the age of 19, he dropped out of college to devote his time to playing poker. Although he was doing really well, he still couldn't play in any non-tribal casino because he has to be at least 21 to do so. Again, he found himself waiting for the time when he could be old enough to take his poker career to a higher level.

Allen Cunningham's achievements as a pro poker player

When he turned 21, Cunningham began joining tournaments immediately, but he didn't win any of the major events he entered. Although he did not win as much money as he wanted, it was still a formative period for him. Cunningham was fortunate enough to have met several poker players who would later on become some of the best players in the world, including Daniel Negreanu, John Juanda, Layne Flack, and Phil Ivey.

During his second year playing tournaments in non-tribal casinos, Cunningham gained the wins he had been wishing for. During the 1999 Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, Cunningham had top ten finishes in six tournaments. He even had two wins, which was enough to have him named as the "Best All-Around Player." After just four months of playing in the tournaments at the Bicycle Casino, Cunningham made an appearance at the US Poker Championships, in which he placed second in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event and won the Seven-Card Stud event.

Over the years, poker players and poker enthusiasts alike began to take notice of Cunningham. To date, he has won five World Series of Poker bracelets, the first one of which is from the 2001 WSOP $5,000 Seven-card stud event. He won the other bracelets during the 2002 WSOP $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event, the 2006 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em/w Rebuys event, and the 2007 WSOP $5,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event. As of 2008, Cunningham ranks fifth in the list of individuals who have made the most winnings in playing poker and part of the full tilt poker team of professional players. His winnings already amount to more than $10,200,000. Cunningham is part of team full tilt poker and being one of the top poker players in the world