John Dolan 

Frank Alpandinar

Bierman rocketed onto the poker scene like few others. Most of the time the new faces are 20 somethings not retirees.

That hasn't kept Steve from steamrolling young and old alike and piling up the Hendon Mob results. One of Wild Bill's students Bierman has surpassed the GCP co-owner in winnings and results in just three years.

His No Fear and Fear-the-Bier monickers are well earned. So too, are the almost 400k in tournament earnings. Bierman has made a WSOP final table and qualified to the global championship for the WSOP-C (also a final table), as well as win first outright three times, and final tabled tournaments on three continents in his young career.

Jerry Giroir

Jerry "Crusher" Giroir, or as a friend of him dubbed him; Commandant Crusher, has won just under 1/4 million in live tournament winnings.

He's been on the scene since 2009, but his results have recently taken a drastic turn for the better. Up to 2017 he had a smattering of final tables with 3rd (once) being his highest finish, but since imbibing the Run Hot juice, Jerry's finished 2nd four times, and won 1st four times.

He and his wife Prissy Giroir have transitioned from faces on the scene to players you don't want to see at your table. 

David Diaz

Also known as Lefty, Diaz has an inspirational back story.  A cancer sufferer as a child he moved to the States to get treatment then discovered poker as young man. 

He's won over 2 million dollars and a WSOP bracelet in a $1500 Triple Chance event.  

David is also one of the all time leaders in Tennessee for money earned.  We've heard he is now chasing the money in Florida.  

Jacob "Nocko" Naguin

Jacob has earned almost half a million in tournament poker winnings.  He's top 20 all time in Louisiana.   

He's recently transitioned into a serial entrepreneur with multiple businesses and finding the same type of success off the felt as he enjoyed on it. 

Mihail Karasoulisl

Mihail Karasoulis, a contractor by vocation, has won over 200k in tournament poker. He started in the game with a second place finish in a 2007 Harrahs New Orleans tournament for 28k.

Fittingly, his most prestigious title, the first ever King of Poker Gras also came at Harrahs New Orleans. Mihail won over 27k when he chopped with David Nicholson.  Mandeville's finest has cashed over 47 times.

McBrayer is a noted player on and off the coast.  He has almost 1 million  in tournament winnings.  He's been a consistent casher and winner in tournaments for the better part of a decade. 

His biggest score was second place for 96k at the World Poker Open in 08.   He's third all time in winnings in Alabama and is one of the state's most feared players.

Trishelle Canatella

The former Real World Las Vegas reality TV and Absolute Poker Pro/Spokesmodel made a televised final table at the WPT Celebrity Event in 2010. 

Though she is more known for being part of "trips" in a hot tub on MTV Canatella's reality fame leads many to underestimate her poker skills.  Should you sit down at a table with her don't make that mistake.  She's more than just a pretty face.

Katie Pansano

The first ever Queen of Poker Gras, Pansano's played in cash games in New Orleans and on the coast for years. Ben Saxton recently profiled her for 2+2 magazine here.

She's also a fixture in the mixed games and played online during the Poker Boom doing quite well in Omaha sit 'n goes. She's another vibrant and loud personality at the table, often lamenting or celebrating a hand by saying, "I play like a girl!"

People look up to and admire the late Chip Reese for two reasons, he wasn't just a terror on the felt but also was a gentlemen.  Kenny Milam isn't much different and has also been terrorizing the local tournament scene. 

He regularly goes deep in the Harrahs Wednesday weekly tournament in New Orleans.  Away from the table when he isn't taking your chips he is about as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet. 

Don Dove

2018 has been good to Don Dove. He's won his first WSOP circuit ring and nabbed his two biggest cashes of his career.

The part time player has been garnering full time results --recently making the final table in 5 of the 7 events he's cashed. The other two finishes? 11th and 16th. Definitely seems to have turned a positive corner.

Jeremy Gaubert has booked a win close to $250,000 on Pokerstars and went deep in the 2008 WSOP Main Event taking 58th place.   He's 13th in Louisiana earnings with over 700k in live winnings.

Gaubert may go by the name Chemist but he's a quiet assassin with one of the highest ROIs on the coast.  He doesn't enter many tournaments but he always seems to get escourted to the cashier's cage when he does play.

David Nicholson

David "DNich" Nicholson aka Diesel has terrorized tables across the country for the better part of 10 years.  He's earned more than 1 million dollars including a Poker Gras 18 Main Event heads up chop. 

The Mississippi native is sixth all time in earnings in the state, with multiple circuit wins.  He's taken down the Main Event of a Bossier City stop for almost 150k.  

The "Poker Monkey"  Will Souther

With winnings of almost 750k Will has cashed an impressive 156 times.  He ranks 10th in Mississippi all time.  Will got his first first place finish late in 08 and then crushed for almost a decade.

He's taken a bit of step away from poker of late but still organizes the famous Monkey's Minions where he puts together a stable of WSOP Main Event players  For those that know him he's all heart.  Read his world followed blog here:

THE POKER MONKEY

Fred Berger

Six first place finishes, 59 cashes, and 1.25+ million in winnings.  What's there to say about Slidell's Fred Berger that the stats don't tell you?   He's known as a gentleman on and off the felt. 

Berger's hobby (his real job is owner of a Mardi Gras company), has an earned him a lot of respect on the tournament circuit and one WSOP bracelet. 

He's as cool as the other side of the pillow and he's most comfortable once the announcement has been made, "Congratulations you are all in the money."  

Danny Doucet

The Lafayette, LA native has 66 cashes to his name including 17 since 2017. 

 Doucette is another of the gentlemen in poker, whose calm disposition belies his killer instincts.  He's cashed 10 times in WSOP Circuit Main Events and seems to thrive the better the competition. 

Hiep's story is an inspirational one.  The Vietnamese immigrant is a self made man, who came to the U.S. in the early 90s, landed a casino job and a couple of decades later plays poker for  a living.

Doan has won 330k and is 31st all time in Louisiana. He's got 5 first place finishes and cashed 18 times since 2017.

A true gentleman off the felt and an aggressive demon on it. Doan can turn you upside down and inside out with his unique playing style.

Albertville Alabama's Gabe Costner, who is now a Gulfport resident had a great 2010 World Series.  He was in contention in the main event and made a final table for a big score earlier.  Welcome back Gabe!  This follows up a great run a couple of years ago where he had a 4th place at the Bayou Classic Main Event to go with his first place in the IP Classic 2008 Main Event. 

Gabe also finished 5th at a WPT final table that included Hoyt Corkins and Freddie Deeb for what was his biggest cash.

Gabe's live tournament earnings are now over 1 million.

Tim "TK" Miles

The former New Orleans resident has gone from finishing 2nd at the 2008 Bayou Classic to earning a living  in South Florida.  This guy is a machine who is always a threat at the top of the leaderboard no matter where the tournament is located.  Laid back and in the zone, he'll attack you like that's no tomorrow when he's got an edge. 

Up to Black Friday, TK's  focus was on online tournaments and making his living on Sundays.  Since then TK has upped his live earnings to over 3.2 million in winnings with his biggest cash over 380k in September of 2018.

Little has a "modest career" earnings totaling almost 7 million in earnings.  A Pensacola native and one of the most successful "internet" players who has transitioned to live tournaments Little has two WPT titles. 

He's also built a book and coaching empire and is one of the most successful players in and around the game of his generation.  The Pensacola kid is a true legend.

Tyler Smith

Tyler Smith, owns a bracelet, 1.2 million in earnings (3rd all time in Mississippi), and is regarded by his peers and his opponents as one of the top young players in the game today.  

"He'll steal from you from any position," and "He's always one move ahead," are just two of the quotes we've heard about Smith.  He now mostly enjoys cash games but the he'd be a favorite any time he entered a tournament.

Kevin Eyster

Lafayette born,  Lafayette bred Eyster also known as 1$ickDisea$e, is an online and live star.  He's first all time in Louisiana in money earned with 4.4 million won in 114 cashes in live tournaments along.

Eyster got his start in Europe before he was 21, and has been steadilying adding to his bankroll since then. 

"Captain" Tom Franklin

Gulfport, MS's Tom Franklin ranks first all time for Mississippi players.  You can usually find him on final tables.  He's gotten over 226 cashes to his name and a little over 3.2 million in tournament winnings. 

Captain Tom has a bracelet and sixteen first places finishes.  He's the proud parent of five children, and has been a fixture on the scene since 1983.  What a career!

Tim Burt

The Army veteran has a long career and has dominated many different forms of Poker.  The 2018 Gulf Coast Poker Championship winner ranks fifth all time in Mississippi earnings.  As quick with his wit as he is to the pot with the best hand, Burt quietly produces with 122 lifetime cashes.  

Caufman has earned ~one million dollars and is seventh all time in Louisiana earnings with a style that is brash and fearless.  He once quipped the secret to his success was that he just says All in a lot.   His career started at a blistering pace winning 4 of the first 10 tournaments he cashed and he hasn't looked back. 

Walter Chambers

With just under one million in life time winnings Chambers got a taste of fame by winning the televised New Orleans WSOP-Circuit Main Event table in 2005 for almost 800k. 

With 29 cashes including 4 at the WSOP in 2018  this Baton Rouge rounder continues to be one of the most dangerous players on the Gulf Coast. 

Bert Ladner

Contrary to popular opinion they didn't start playing poker when Chris Moneymaker came to the game.  Bert Ladner had been dominating the cash game for some time.  Ladner is a fixture in Blixoi and has gentle disposition most nights but a ruthless game. 

Ladner is relatively new to tournament poker but already has two first place finishes to his name.  Don't let the trademark fedora fool you, his game, is as modern as it comes.