In the world of poker, there is only one scoreboard that matters – how much money have you won? With this fact in mind (and before the start of the 2025 World Series of Poker), Poker News Daily has headed over to The Hendon Mob poker database with a critical question: Who are the all-time money leaders by state? In our first six parts of this series, we covered twenty states and the District of Columbia (alphabetically), so let’s keep it going with the state of New Mexico.
New Mexico
In the Land of Enchantment, there is only one name that dominates the players of the state, and he has had a bit of a dry spell of late. Joe Serock has not cashed since the WPT Cambodia championship earlier this year (and only four times in January at the PGT Last Chance), but he has been able in his career to win over $6 million. That is six times as much money as the second-place runner, David Minto, who joins Serock as the only two New Mexicans over the million mark in career earnings.
Looking down the list of players from New Mexico, there aren’t many familiar names for poker fans. In fact, the third-place player on the list, Jake Minter, earned his last live cash in 2007…and has not cashed since. Suffice it to say that Serock shouldn’t have many competitors for his crown! Here are the top three all-time money leaders from the state of New Mexico:
1. Joe Serock (Albuquerque, NM), $6,298,648
2. David Minto (Alamogordo, NM), $1,035,677
3. Jake Minter (Albuquerque, NM), $632,839
New York
The Empire State can claim many a first in the history of the States. In the world of poker, they can also claim the #1 player OVERALL in tournament poker earnings, heavily juiced by his participation in “High Roller” tournaments. Bryn Kenney, who is the all-time leader in career earnings in poker history, captures the top slot for New Yorkers, regardless of how he got there.
Second and third on the list are not exactly crying in their oatmeal, however. Isaac Haxton takes the second slot on the leaderboard for New York, and it is a spot he should stay in for some time. Even the “old school” New York poker scene makes itself known, with Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel in the third-place slot (but only a scant $750,000 more than Alex Foxen). Here are the top three all-time money leaders from the state of New York:
1. Bryn Kenney (Long Beach, NY), $75,778,348
2. Isaac Haxton (Syracuse, NY), $52,404,274
3. Erik Seidel (New York, NY), $47,928,323
North Carolina
You might think the Tar Heel transplant, Greg Raymer (born in North Dakota), takes the honors for first place in the state, but you would be forgetting about a certain ‘Big Huni.’ Chris Hunichen has almost twice the earnings in his career that Raymer does in his, once again aided by the boost of the “High Roller” circuit. How much of a difference does it make? Hunichen has nine finishes in the last two years on the “High Roller” circuit; Raymer has…zero.
If it is any consolation to the 2004 World Champion, he does have a rather sizeable lead over Anthony Spinella in third. Familiar names such as Mike Sowers, Mark Newhouse, and Christopher Bell (all have not cashed since 2024) also might get into the mix, but it would take a rededication of their efforts. Here are the top three all-time money leaders from the state of North Carolina:
1. Chris Hunichen (Clayton, NC), $16,402,760
2. Greg Raymer (Raleigh, NC), $8,303,816
3. Anthony Spinella (Waxhaw, NC), $4,642,979
North Dakota
North Dakota doesn’t have familiar names for many poker fans, but their resumes demonstrate that there is plenty of poker to be played in that area of the country. Leading the way for North Dakotans is Tom McCormick, who has racked up Hendon Mob flags for over three decades now. McCormick’s first cash dates to the 1992 World Series of Poker, and he is still active today, with his latest cash at a tournament in the “King of Mix” Tournament Series at Talking Stick Resort and Casino in Scottsdale, AZ.
There are only two more players in the state who have cracked the million-dollar mark in career earnings. Rodger Johnson has over twenty years of success on his poker resume and enough earnings to take the second-place slot over Mitch Schock. These three men are close enough together that a major victory could change the charts, however. Here are the top three all-time money leaders from the state of North Dakota:
1. Tom McCormick (Fargo, ND), $2,401,351
2. Rodger Johnson (Grand Forks, ND), $2,014,262
3. Mitch Schock (Bismarck, ND), $1,512,654
Ohio
Our final state for this part is also a runaway race. David Peters is once again on a run towards several Player of the Year awards, with several top finishes on the PokerGO Tour adding on to his already illustrious career numbers. As of the start of the 2025 WSOP, Peters has racked up over $48 million in career earnings, with his three latest finishes at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro adding over $1.1 million alone.
The other two men on the podium also have over eight figures in career earnings. Byron Kaverman has to settle for second place in the state with his $20 million-plus, while Justin Saliba’s $10 million-plus is good enough for third. Here are the numbers for the top three all-time money leaders from the state of Ohio:
1. David Peters (Toledo, OH), $48,255,890
2. Byron Kaverman (Fort Jennings, OH), $20,876,607
3. Justin Saliba (Beavercreek, OH), $10,116,983
Writer’s note: The man considered to be the greatest poker player in history, Poker Hall of Famer David ‘Chip’ Reese, is STILL in seventh place on the state of Ohio’s Top Ten players with a tick under $4 million in career earnings.
We are heading down the home stretch of our rundown of the states. Have we offered up your state yet? And if so, was it a bit of a surprise who was there? Only fifteen states are left on our countdown, and maybe some more surprises are awaiting us!
The post Who’s the Best? The All-Time Money Leaders in Poker by State, Part Seven appeared first on Poker News Daily.
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