Dan Harrington on Holdem Dan Harrington was born in December, 1945 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Growing up, he displayed a real talent for both chess and backgammon. When he was in his mid-20’s, he won the 1971 Massachusetts State Chess Championship. After high school he attended Suffolk University where he majored in law.

While in college, Dan Harrington continued to play chess and backgammon but took up a new game – poker. He frequently traveled to Harvard University to play the game with a group of people that included Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Also while at Suffolk, he joined a couple of MIT teams that specialized in beating roulette and blackjack.

Dan Harrington started to take backgammon seriously. At that time, the game was popular and if someone was good enough they could make money playing at tournaments. Harrington was soon ranked as a top player and won the World Cup of Backgammon in 1981. Harrington did well but when a tournament organizer failed to pay him for a win, Harrington switched to poker.

By 1980, Harrington had moved to Philadelphia where he traded stocks. During that time Dan Harrington began to associate with a group of poker players who frequented the legendary Mayfair Club. The New York club was a place where a gambler could always find a game day or night. It was a unique place where aspiring players could hang out and talk strategies with each other. It proved to be the perfect training ground. This particular group that Harrington was a member of included future pros like Howard Lederer, Steve Zolotow, and Erik Seidel.

Dan Harrington in the World Series of Poker

In 1988, Harrington entered his first World Series of Poker and took sixth place in the Main Event. That first win earned him $44,000. Many of the regulars from the Mayfair Club started entering those poker tournaments and in the early days, they dominated. Their time playing at the Mayfair Club was paying off.

In 1989, Dan Harrington moved to California and started his own investment company, Anchor Loans, which he still runs out of Santa Monica. The company became very successful in investing in real estate and the stock market.

In 1995, at the World Series of Poker, Harrington won his first gold bracelet at $2,500 No Limit Hold’Em. He beat out pro players like Chip Reese and Chau Gaing and took home $249,000.

Then at the Main Event, he defeated Howard Goldfarb heads-up to win the championship and the $1 million prize. He also earned his second gold bracelet from that event. It’s interesting to note that when he made it to the final table of the Main Event, he suggested a nine-way split with the other finalists and that he would invest their money and make everyone a millionaire. The other competitors declined and probably regretted it as they were eventually defeated.

Dan Harrington kept under the radar for the next few years. He has always stated that he is a business man and that poker is just a hobby. Also, he doesn’t like the attention of sitting in the spotlight. So for the next few years, he played in mostly smaller tournaments. At the WSOP in both 1996 and 1997, he made it into the top 20.

At the 2003 World Series of Poker, Harrington returned and entered the No Limit Hold’Em event. He outlasted over 800 other players that included professionals like Phil Ivey, David Singer, Freddy Deeb, and Howard Lederer. At the final table, it came down to Harrington, Sammy Farha, and Chris Moneymaker. Harrington came in third and the win earned him $650,000. He also finished in the money at two other tournaments that year. He placed fifth at the Borgata Poker Open and then another fifth at the Four Queens Poker Classic.

At the 2004 WSOP, Harrington outlasted over 2,500 contestants to again make it to the final table only to be busted out by David Williams. Harrington took fourth place and earned a respectable $1.5 million.

Dan Harrington in the World Poker Tour

In 2005, Harrington came in second at the World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson’s North American Poker Championship. He made it to the final table and was beat out in heads-up by Minh Ly. Then in 2007, Harrington came back stronger at the WPT Legends of Poker. He made it to the final table that included Tom Schneider, Thu Nguyen, and David Pham. Harrington ended up defeating Pham and took the first place prize of $1.6 million. The win put Harrington in the small group of players to have a first place finish at both the WSOP and the WPT. Only Doyle Brunson, Carlos Mortensen, Scotty Nguyen, and Joe Hachem share that distinction.

"Action Dan"

Harrington’s nickname, Action Dan, is ironic. He gave it to himself but his style of play is the exact opposite. He is known as a very tight, ultra-conservative player, a contrast to today’s hyper-aggressive players. He is sometimes criticized for his style because some claim it is too predictable. When he raises all-in, it is usually a sign that he is not bluffing and is enough to cause a few players to fold. Money seems to be more important than the glory of a first place win.

Harrington on Holdem Series

Dan Harrington has also co-written three books on poker with Bill Robertie. The books are titled Harrington on Hold’Em Expert Strategies for No Limit Tournaments Volumes 1-3. The books describe the different types of tournament play and the advantages and disadvantages of each style. The books are considered by some to be among the best books available on poker strategy.

Dan Harrington lives in California where he continues to run his successful investment company. He has stated that age is affecting his game. Poker tournaments that last for days require a lot of stamina and Harrington usually finds himself physically drained by the end.

He seems to think the game is suited for younger players, and he may be right. But despite his age, Harrington still manages to do well in the tournaments he enters. If he doesn’t win first place, that doesn’t seem to bother him. As long as he enjoys himself and earns some money, he seems content.