Poker's power couples
It’s valentines again so we are celebrating all those that found their kings and queens of hearts at the tables to make the perfect pair.
Let’s face it, you are far more likely to make enemies than friends playing poker. Oh well, let’s hope you got their money first. Some players, however, do get on, with a few of them actually finding love at the tables.
Seeing as it's Valentine’s Day, let’s take a look a some of poker’s power couples.
Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly
The most famous of all poker couplings surely has to be Jennifer Tilly and Phil Laak. The pair began dating in 2005, the same year that actress Tilly took down the WSOP Ladies Event for over $150k. Yes, 12 years the pair have been together now, without actually marrying choosing instead to fill their time making regular TV appearances and as well featuring heavily on the poker circuit, through which Mr Laak has amassed some $3.5m+ over time.
Jason and Natasha Mercier
As most of you will recall, last summer Jason Mercier accepted a bet laid by Vanessa Selbst that he wouldn't win three bracelets at last summer’s WSOP. While he ended up fulfilling 2/3 of the bet and falling short of the wager, jewellery of a different kind came into play when, at the climax of the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em, Mercier jumped over the rails and approached his then girlfriend Natasha Barbour who was still celebrating her third-place finish reward of $348,374, her best career cash to date, as the pair embraced. This was followed by the five-time bracelet winner getting down on one knee and popping the question, to which a taken back Arbour replied with a yes to the PokerStars Pro, with over $17m in live winnings giving him a ring instead of a third bracelet.
Liv Boeree and Igor Kurganov
British Boeree began dating Igor Kurganov back in 2014 and they have spent of much the following three years documenting their love on social media for all to see. With a best live cash of $1,698,300, Boeree is one of the most famous faces of PokerStars’ Team Pro, a group that this very week added Kurganov to its roster, making them professional and personal partners. The loved up London based pair are regulars on the circuit, where Kurganov, whose live winning max out at over $12m, represented the London Royals in last year’s inaugural GPL, a team selected by the entirely impartial Liv Boeree. Ahhh
Kara Scott and Giovanni Rizzo
For the perfect blend of romance and poker how about a couple that got engaged in Venice in the exact same spot where they shared their first kiss, immediately after the WPT Grand Prix? For this we turn to Kara Scott and her husband of three years, Giovanni Rizzo. Canadian Scott and Italian Rizzo have been happily married since then and have added to their considerable wealth by hosting a succession of TV poker shows and pushing an endorsement or two. In his case, Italian site GD Poker, for her currently read 888poker, while both have made a decent sum at the felt also. Kara’s biggest take came at the 2009 Irish Open when a 2nd place finish paid out $413,612, while Rizzo’s reward so far peaks at almost $42,000 at a WSOP event one year later. The couple now live in Slovenia.
Katie Dozier and Collin Moshman
PokerStrategy’s very own power couple, the husband and wife poker playing and writing team that is Collin Moshman and Katie Dozier are another of the game’s love stories. The American pair have both written on the game extensively as well as providing first class coaching to our members. Katie began her love affair, with poker that is, playing home games while studying at Florida State University before teaming up with Moshman to make a formidable pair at the virtual felt as well as at home.
Ivan Luca and Maria Lampropoulos
You may remember our final couple as the pair that went all the way together last year at the Eureka Poker Tour Main Event in Rozvadov. That’s right, Argentinian pair Ivan Luca and Maria Lampropoulos were already on the throws of love when they travelled to the Czech casino and registered for the same event. Some four days later, the couple were the last two standing (or sitting) and made the quite understandable decision to share the spoils as Lampropoulos walked away with $103,907, her best ever cash, while watching her boyfriend come first for $115,649 which makes up his live earnings total of over $4m. And to think their greatest moment was when they decided to split!
