The most popular poker players in Missouri

Poker in the United States is booming—again.

Last year, the World Series of Poker accepted a record 10,043 entrants, who each had to fork over $10,000 to sit at the no-limit hold 'em tournament with a $93.4 million purse, including $12.1 million for the winner.

The event, which started in 1970 with seven participants, took off in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker burst onto the scene, The Financial Times reported. The Tennessee accountant won $2.5 million after qualifying for the main event in an $86 online satellite tournament, and poker hasn't been the same since.

The World Poker Tour, which arranges and hosts international poker tournaments, was launched the previous year. Added to that, the increased availability of broadband internet plus unregulated online poker rooms and the entertainment value of televised events helped foster a rise that lasted until the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 prevented businesses from accepting payments from people participating in illegal gambling.

Online poker took another huge hit in 2011, when the Department of Justice on what is known as Black Friday seized the domains of super sites PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and Ultimate Bet—and $34 million from players. It made a comeback, however, when the coronavirus pandemic led to the sprouting of new platforms, and subsequent developments and innovations made the game more attractive.

Still, it's been a slow burn, and while poker has seen its share of ups and downs as the gambling industry ebbs and flows, more and more players are sitting down to ante up.

To see which players had the most eyes on them, Clubs Poker compiled a ranking—based on a national analysis—of the most popular poker players in Missouri using data from The Hendon Mob. Players residing in Missouri were ranked according to the unique pageviews on the website starting from Jan. 1, 2008. Data about each player's live cash earnings were added as supplementary insights. Data is as of March 13, 2024.

#10. Reginald Shawn Roberts
- Total live earnings: $1,158,767
--- 2,295th highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $120,146
- Residence: Ozark, Missouri
- Unique hits: 15,412

#9. Neil Patel
- Total live earnings: $926,558
--- 2,990th highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $192,152
- Residence: St. Louis, Missouri
- Unique hits: 16,495

#8. Kevin Hart
- Total live earnings: $47,828
--- 52,825th highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $20,265
- Residence: Kansas City, Missouri
- Unique hits: 17,515

#7. Salvatore Dicarlo
- Total live earnings: $1,227,774
--- 2,201st highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $184,914
- Residence: Creve Coeur, Missouri
- Unique hits: 19,520

#6. Gary Bolden
- Total live earnings: $1,501,061
--- 1,891st highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $60,606
- Residence: St Louis, Missouri
- Unique hits: 19,615

#5. Patrick Walsh
- Total live earnings: $1,717,940
--- 1,481st highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $923,379
- Residence: St Charles, Missouri
- Unique hits: 19,955

#4. Joshua Turner
- Total live earnings: $2,365,798
--- 1,014th highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $294,760
- Residence: St. Louis, Missouri
- Unique hits: 27,758

#3. Jason Mo
- Total live earnings: $2,007,323
--- 1,231st highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $538,308
- Residence: St. Louis, Missouri
- Unique hits: 38,297

#2. Blair Hinkle
- Total live earnings: $5,253,630
--- 341st highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $1,745,245
- Residence: Kansas City, Missouri
- Unique hits: 52,011

#1. Dutch Boyd
- Total live earnings: $2,964,614
--- 743rd highest live poker earnings of all time
- Best live cash: $475,712
- Residence: Columbia, Missouri
- Unique hits: 65,114

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 49 states.