Since an estimated 75 percent of Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border, it should come as no surprise that Canadians share a lot of interests with their American neighbors, whether that means shooting hoops, spending time with their beloved pets, or playing a few hands of poker. As a result, there are more than just a few Canadian poker players out there, and these following five pros are totally dominating the global poker circuit.
Evelyn Ng
By the age of 17, Ng had mastered a playing style specialized in handling aggressive players with the assistance of her then boyfriend, poker pro and fellow Canadian Daniel Negreanu. Ng has managed no fewer than 4 money finishes, thus resulting in a lifetime winnings of more than $375,000. Furthermore she has appeared on a number of TV shows as well, with examples such as a role as a participant on Criss Angel Mindfreak and a role as a croupier on the British game show Casino.
Daniel Negreanu
Negreanu has managed to become one of the best poker players in the entire world: he is the single biggest live poker winner with more than $32 million in winnings so far. Like Ng, Negreanu got started at an early age, so much so that he was able to head to Las Vegas to pursue his dream of becoming a professional poker player by the age of 22. His two World Poker Tour championship titles and six World Series of Poker bracelets make it clear that he has more than managed to master his game. Besides his love for poker, Negreanu is known for his love of hockey, so much so that he championed a NHL expansion to his current home of Las Vegas.
Kara Scott
Unlike the previous two poker players, Kara Scott grew up in the western province of Alberta but later moved to the United Kingdom in order to become a journalist. There, she became a presenter on a martial arts show because of her Muay Thai training, which served as a springboard for further efforts involving backgammon and poker. Her experiences with poker through her journalistic work convinced her to make the full transition to becoming a professional poker player, which in turn, led up to her becoming a fully-fledged member of Team 888.
Jennifer Tilly
Tilly got her start in acting before making a big splash in the world of poker by winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005. Her acting work encompasses roles in movies such as Made in America, Bound, and Bride of Chucky, but her most famous role is probably as Olive Neal in Bullets Over Broadway, which got her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994.
Jaime Staples
To a lot of people, Jaime Staples might be better known as “PokerStaples” – his alias on Twitch.tv that he uses to live-stream poker tournaments. With that said, he has proven himself to be a capable poker player in his own right, which is quite an achievement given that he is relatively young compared to the other names mentioned here.
