Christoph Vogelsang
German pro Christoph Vogelsang, with over $45 million in winnings, is at the pinnacle of the poker world and leads our list of top stars without a WSOP bracelet.
His most prestigious victory came at the 2017 Super High Roller Bowl, where he secured $6,000,000. During the Triton series, he clinched two titles, including winning the Main Event in Jeju (2025) for over $4 million.
Vogelsang came closest to a bracelet in 2022, finishing second in the $25K Heads Up Championship, falling to Dan Smith. Additionally, he has three third-place finishes at the WSOP, including the iconic million-dollar Big One for One Drop in 2014.
Punnat Punsri
Thai phenomenon Punnat Punsri made history in 2025 as the first Asian player to win the GPI Player of the Year award. With over $35 million in winnings, he tops the Thai leaderboard and is among Asia's elite.
Punsri is one of the biggest stars of Triton, dominating the Triton Cyprus Main Event (2022) for $2,600,000 and collecting five titles in this prestigious series.
He has had several near-misses for a gold bracelet. Most recently, he finished second in the WSOP Europe 2026 GGMillion$ High Roller. He was also runner-up in 2024 in the $5K 8-Handed NLH and in 2022 in the Poker Hall of Fame Bounty.
Benjamin Tollerene
Ben Tollerene, known online as "Ben86," is regarded as one of the most talented players ever. He began as a formidable online cash game specialist before successfully transitioning to live tournaments, amassing over $36 million in winnings, aided by two Triton Main Event victories.
His closest brush with WSOP success came in 2024, finishing second in the summer's $250K Super High Roller and later claiming another second place in the $100K PLO Super High Roller at WSOP Paradise.
Sean Winter
American Sean Winter is one of the most successful players with over $38 million in winnings. In 2022, he became the champion of the US Poker Open leaderboard and holds titles from Triton, PCA, and WPT.
Despite his longstanding consistency, a WSOP bracelet continues to elude him. Winter was "painfully close" in 2018, losing to Benjamin Yu in the heads-up of the $50K High Roller. He's also had three third-place finishes and has appeared on the final table fourteen times.
David “Chino” Rheem
David “Chino” Rheem is one of poker's most prominent figures, boasting close to $20 million in winnings. He's a three-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion and won the 2019 PCA Main Event for over $1.5 million.
His first major chance at a bracelet came in 2006, finishing second in the $1K NLH event. Since then, he’s added three more heads-up defeats, the last one in the $10K Seven Card Stud event last year. He's also known for his legendary 7th place in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, with his then record $1.7 million being his highest payout.
Viktor “Isildur1” Blom
Swedish legend Viktor Blom, known as “Isildur1,” long focused on high-stakes cash games but has recently begun dominating tournaments. His major successes include the $100K Super High Roller title at the PCA in 2012 with a $1,254,400 win, and a victory at the partypoker MILLIONS Main Event in 2018.
In recent years, he’s been hunting his first bracelet, but it remains elusive. Since 2023, he has placed in the top six in ten WSOP events.
2025 was both extremely successful and cruel for him, finishing second in the $10K Limit Hold'em Championship and the $10K Super PLOSSUS at WSOP Paradise.
Thomas Boivin
Belgian Thomas Boivin currently leads Belgium's earnings chart with more than $16 million. In recent years, he's become a force in high buy-in events, securing all three of his seven-figure wins in 2025, including a 5th place finish in the Triton Invitational at WSOP Paradise with a $2.3 million prize.
His closest bracelet bid was in 2017, finishing second in the $1,500 NLH Shootout. He also nabbed two third-place finishes in 2025 in the $100K High Roller and $250K Super High Roller events.
Who Missed the List?
Besides the seven stars mentioned, there are several other surprising bracelet absences:
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Niklas Astedt: Swedish online legend “Lena900” nearly captured the WSOP Main Event in 2024. He finished third, taking home $4,000,000.
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Steve O'Dwyer: With over $47 million in earnings, he ranks among the most successful players in history, but rarely participates in the WSOP in Las Vegas due to his aversion to large crowds.
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Patrik Antonius: The Finnish poker icon with over $32 million in earnings came closest to a bracelet in 2007 when he finished third in the $10K PLO Championship.
Sources: WSOP, The Hendon Mob, Flickr, PGT
