More than two decades after Chris Moneymaker qualified for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) with just USD 86 (CAD 123) and went on to win the tournament’s main USD 2.5 million (CAD 3.58 million) prize pool, we’re in the midst of yet another poker boom.
The momentum began when COVID-19 saw thousands flock to online poker tables, and it hasn’t stopped since. In 2023, the Financial Times reported that a historic 10,043 players entered the WSOP’s main event, resulting in an unprecedented prize pool of USD 93.4 million (CAD 133.88 million). Just a year later, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto hosted Canada’s first-ever WSOP event in partnership with GGPoker—marking a significant increase in poker interest across the country.
That interest extends beyond Canada to the wider North American region and the rest of the world. According to the State of Poker report for 2024, over 56% of respondents believe poker is only getting more popular, and live tournaments remain undefeated as the most preferred way for players to participate.
In the middle of it all, a new generation of pros are rising up. With poker only growing more popular by the day—and the likes of Erik Seidel and Canada’s very own Daniel Negreanu mentoring the latest and greatest to hit the felt—we’re seeing an influx of rising poker superstars worth keeping an eye on. Here are a few of them:
Rene Nezhoda
Credit: @bargainhunters on Instagram
Best live cash earnings: USD 100,000 (CAD 143,308)
Total live earnings: USD 297,635 (CAD 426,533)
One of poker’s biggest up-and-coming players comes in the unlikely form of a TV personality—namely, Storage Wars star Rene Nezhoda. Before landing on TV, Nezhoda actually started out as a poker pro with experience participating in the WSOP and World Poker Tour (WPT). He briefly stepped away to focus on his show, build his own business, and raise a family. Recently, however, Nezhoda’s been coming back with a vengeance. In 2022, he nabbed the top spot at the Americas Cardroom (ACR) Enjoy Poker Tour in Uruguay—and repeated his performance, ranking first at the same event a year later.
Nezhoda’s stellar skills, which he honed in his early 20s at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas and allowed him to win up to USD 3,000 (CAD 4,303) a week, evidently matured and got sharper than ever after his long hiatus, and he eventually got tapped up to be an ambassador for ACR Poker. The partnership is a great match: Nezhoda revealed in a 2022 interview that he’d long been frequenting ACR’s online rooms made for quick but lively games that helped him take “a break from the daily grind,” allowing him to stay flexible and keep playing poker amid his busy work schedule.
With the company’s backing, he can now take on more tournaments—more recently finishing 123rd on the fifth day of the WSOP 2024’s main event—and further display his expertise on the felt, making Rene Nezhoda a superstar-in-the-making worth following.
Charlie Carrel
Best live cash earnings: USD 1,601,853 (CAD 2,295,362)
Total live earnings: USD 9,614,064 (CAD 13,776,395)
Charlie Carrel is a poker hotshot, if there ever was one. In just four short years, he was able to make more than USD 5 million (CAD 7 million). Carrel’s secret? He’s really, really good at math. On the British show, How’d You Get So Rich?, Carrel revealed he grew up obsessed with numbers and could understand even more complex calculations and formulas. He eventually stumbled upon poker—along with all the math skills it requires—and, as soon as he could, started playing online, often for hours at a time. “I had no life for a very long time,” Carrel explained. “For about eight months I was playing 16 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Eventually, he made his way to live games, where his math skills served him well. Carrel’s since ranked first in multiple events across five different tournaments, including the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London, and WPT. Just like Daniel Negreanu, he even teaches his own master class at Elite University. Poker journalist Steve Dinneen, who went up against him at the 2023 WSOP, noted that he was soundly defeated because Carrel boasts another skill, not many people know about: he’s a body language expert. Aside from being an aspect of playing poker he highlights in his classes, it shows just how multifaceted Carrel is—making him one of the most interesting pros to watch and follow today.
Frank Cucchiara
Credit: @cardplayermedia on Instagram
Best live cash earnings: USD 50,900 (CAD 72,937)
Total live earnings: USD 146,977 (CAD 210,639)
When it comes to poker, Gen Z is truly changing the game. From sharing tips on TikTok to getting strategies, personalized coaching, and bankroll management tips from ChatGPT, this entire generation of digital natives is finding new and exciting ways to immerse themselves in one of history’s most popular card games. Content creator Frank Cucchiara, who’s fondly known by his fans as “NextGen Frankie” or “Frankie C,” is no exception.
Cucchiara may be young, but he’s a high-stakes pro who’s steadily cementing his name in the poker world. With experience playing in the WSOP, WPT, Asian Poker Tour, and Wynn Signature Series, he’s racked up total earnings in the hundreds of thousands in just the two years he’s been in the game. However, his true passion lies in making poker “a spectacle”—one that attracts younger and fresher talent to tournaments.
That’s why it’s no surprise that his content follows him on his poker journey. Followers can come along as he flies across the world to attend tournaments, getting behind-the-scenes looks into what it takes to participate in—and win—in events. His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. PokerStars signed him on as a brand ambassador in 2023. More recently, he’s started working with Card Player Magazine as both a brand ambassador and consultant, helping the online publication—and poker in general—reach newer and younger audiences in the millions. In the coming years, fans can expect him to become a poker superstar in more ways than one.
Charlie Waters
Credit: @pokerguru_india on Instagram
Best live cash earnings: USD 37,000 (CAD 48,727)
Total live earnings: USD 166,921 (CAD 239,228)
Of course, the latest generation of poker superstars isn’t all men. With more women playing than ever before, tournaments are shifting to match—and more women talents are emerging. That was made especially apparent at the inaugural PokerStars Women’s Winter Festival at London’s Hippodrome Casino.
The event saw over 271 participants, officially making it the largest women-only poker tournament to ever take place outside Las Vegas. On the roster were Hippodrome ambassador Lydia Cugudda, Argentinian poker star Maria Lampropulos, and Lisa Thumm—sister of PokerStars’ very own Niclas Thumm. However, it was long-time player Charlie Waters who eventually took home the high roller title and winnings worth over GBP 10,020 (CAD 17,800).
Waters, who’s also raising a family and runs a wedding and event styling business, has been biding her time. She’s been playing in local poker tournaments since 2011, nabbing podium finishes at her first events before working her way up to the international stage at the likes of the Deep Stack Extravaganza III and WSOP. As more women make their way onto poker circuits and display their prowess, fans can expect Waters to make more appearances and further establish her stellar reputation in high-roller arenas.
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