Allen Cunningham, Poker Player Poker player Allen Cunningham was born in 1977 in Riverside, California. His family taught him to play poker at an early age, and he seemed to have a real talent with the cards. Even when he was young he couldn’t wait to try his luck in casinos.

After high school, Allen Cunningham attended UCLA to pursue an engineering degree. While at college, he finally got his chance to play in his first casino. He was working as a pizza delivery boy while attending classes. In his spare time he would play in low limit poker games at a local Indian casino.

Allen Cunningham discovered that he was as good at playing poker in the casino as he was at playing poker with his family. Eventually he worked his way up to larger poker games. When he was 19 years old, he made the decision to quit school and pursue poker as a career. Since he wasn’t 21 yet, he couldn’t play in any non-tribal casinos for larger pots. He still had two years to hone his craft.

Allen Cunningham, Poker Tournaments, and "The Crew"

As soon as Allen Cunningham turned 21, he entered the poker tournament circuit. His first year on the circuit was a tough one. He failed to make any substantial wins. But he didn’t give up.

During that first year on the poke tournament circuit, Allen Cunningham became associated with a group of young players that included Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Layne Flack, and Daniel Negreanu. The group would eventually be referred to as "The Crew". They all began their poker tournament careers around the same time and would share strategies and information with each other.

During Allen Cunningham’s second year as a professional, he finally met some success. At the 1999 Legends of Poker tournament at the Bicycle Casino, he finished in the top ten in six different events, and he won the ‘Best All-Around Player’ award.

Allen Cunningham - World Series of Poker

A few months later he took first place in Seven-Card Stud at the U.S. Poker Championships. The win earned him $22,000. He also took second place in No Limit Hold’Em. In 2000 at the World Series of Poker -- he won second place in $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo and earned $113,850. For the remainder of 2000, he consistently finished in the top twenty in over a dozen tournaments.

In 2001, Cunningham’s roll continued. At the L.A. Poker Classic in February, he won first place at the Pot Limit Hold’Em event and took home $31,265. He also took a fourth and fifth place win at two other events at that tournament. Then at the World Series of Poker, Cunningham got his first big win. He took first place at $5,000 Seven Card Stud, earned $200,000 and his first gold WSOP bracelet. In June of 2001 he had a second place finish at the California State Championship and then in August he had a first place finish at the Legend of Poker tournament.

Over the next couple of years, Cunningham remained consistent in his wins. He has won a total of five World Series of Poker bracelets. His second bracelet came in 2002 playing $5,000 Deuce to Seven where he won $160,200. In 2005, he won at $1,500 No Limit Hold’Em and earned $725,405. That was a remarkable event for Cunningham. He outlasted over 2,500 contestants to make it to the final table which included tough professionals like Scott Fischman, Dave Ulliott, Liz Lieu, and Can Kim Hua. Also, by the time he made it to the Main Event, he had already earned a million dollars from his finishes in previous events.

Allen Cunningham’s fourth WSOP bracelet was in 2006 playing $1,000 No Limit Hold’Em with Rebuys. The event featured over 700 entries and over 1600 rebuys. That win earned him $625,830. And his fifth bracelet was won in 2007 at the Pot Limit Hold’Em event which earned him $487,287. Cunningham is one of only a few players to win a WSOP bracelet in three consecutive years. The only other professionals to make the list are Johnny Moss, Bill Boyd, Doyle Brunson, Erik Seidel, and Gary Berland.

Cunningham’s biggest cash win of his career was at the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event. Out of 9,000 entries, he made it to the final table with 17 million in chips, right behind the chip leader Jamie Gold ,who held 26 million in chips. Cunningham took fourth place and won $3.5 million. Despite the big cash win, Cunningham was disappointed by the defeat.

Since recovered from the loss, Allen Cunningham continues to play poker in the tournament circuit where he still consistently finishes in the money. His latest win was in May 2008 at the World Series of Poker Circuit event at Caesar’s Palace. He earned $499,162.

Allen Cunningham - Quiet, Rational Poker

Cunningham’s presence at the table is not as loud as some other players. He is described as quiet and unemotional. His training as an engineer has helped him approach the game analytically. Cunningham has stated that one of the best skills a player can possess is control because it is extremely important to stay focused. He might not be as well-known or infamous as some of his friends and fellow players. His consistent wins, however, have earned him much respect from his peers who voted him ‘Best All-Around Player Under 35’.

When not at a poker tournament, Cunningham likes to play in cash games. His favorite games are Pot Limit Omaha and H.O.R.S.E. Cunningham also plays exclusively online at Full Tilt Poker where he became a full member of Team Full Tilt back in 2006. He currently lives in Las Vegas with his girlfriend, fellow pro poker player Melissa Hayden. His nickname is ‘Clever Piggy’. To date, his estimated tournament earnings are over $10 million. He is behind Jamie Gold, Joseph Hachem, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Helmuth in winnings. At such an early age he has become a legend at the table and with the consistency of his wins, it will be interesting to watch his continued performance.