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POKER NOTABLES:  WHO'S WHO ON THE COAST (Who's Who Archive)

John Dolan 

A 2010 November Niner. Dolan, a pro from Florida, has played and won poker tournaments across the Gulf Coast for almost a decade.
At the WSOP Main Event, Dolan finished 6th and unlike many November Niners who were never heard from again, he built a career on the game.

As of late 2018 he's earned almost 5 million in live cashes and is close to the top 200 winners all time. His biggest recent scored was for 117k at the Summer Saver in the DeepStack Championship series.

Frank Alpandinar

Aussie Frank, a Baton Rouge native, and a staple on the coastal tournament scene has won just over 1/4 million dollars. His best live cash is a touch under 70k.

Recently Frank just missed the final table at the 2018 Poker Gras Main Event. Frank has a jubliant and aggressive playing style that can be equal parts entertaining and/or designed to tilt if needed.

We enjoy his patter and are grateful for his old school approach to playing the game with personality.  He's a wiley and crafty competitor that is usually one step ahead.
   
Corey Harrison

Currently a professor in New Orleans, gregarious Corey has earned over 590k playing live tournament poker. He ranks 10th in Alabama all time earnings. His biggest cash, also for a WSOP bracelet in a 2013 $1500 No Limit Hold'em event paid over 432k.


His next cash and one of the reasons we love him a Rio Daily Deepstack for $493 a couple of days later. Who loves it more?
Curtis Terry

Terry's table presence is a bit like a stoic terminator. Calm, calculating, and collected Terry has racked up around 200k in tournament cashes.


The Metairie mauler has two rings since 2017 and most of his earnings have come in the same time span.
   
Steve Bierman

Bierman rocketed onto the poker scene like few others. Most of the time the new faces are 20 somethings not retirees.

That hasn't kept Steve from steamrolling young and old alike and piling up the Hendon Mob results. One of Wild Bill's students Bierman has surpassed the GCP co-owner in winnings and results in just three years.

His No Fear and Fear-the-Bier monickers are well earned. So too, are the almost 400k in tournament earnings. Bierman has made a WSOP final table and qualified to the global championship for the WSOP-C (also a final table), as well as win first outright three times, and final tabled tournaments on three continents in his young career.

Jerry Giroir

Jerry "Crusher" Giroir, or as a friend of him dubbed him; Commandant Crusher, has won just under 1/4 million in live tournament winnings.

He's been on the scene since 2009, but his results have recently taken a drastic turn for the better. Up to 2017 he had a smattering of final tables with 3rd (once) being his highest finish, but since imbibing the Run Hot juice, Jerry's finished 2nd four times, and won 1st four times.

He and his wife Prissy Giroir have transitioned from faces on the scene to players you don't want to see at your table. 

   

David Diaz

Also known as Lefty, Diaz has an inspirational back story.  A cancer sufferer as a child he moved to the States to get treatment then discovered poker as young man. 

He's won over 2 million dollars and a WSOP bracelet in a $1500 Triple Chance event.  

David is also one of the all time leaders in Tennessee for money earned.  We've heard he is now chasing the money in Florida.  

Jacob "Nocko" Naguin

Jacob has earned almost half a million in tournament poker winnings.  He's top 20 all time in Louisiana.   

He's recently transitioned into a serial entrepreneur with multiple businesses and finding the same type of success off the felt as he enjoyed on it. 

   

Mihail Karasoulisl

Mihail Karasoulis, a contractor by vocation, has won over 200k in tournament poker. He started in the game with a second place finish in a 2007 Harrahs New Orleans tournament for 28k.

Fittingly, his most prestigious title, the first ever King of Poker Gras also came at Harrahs New Orleans. Mihail won over 27k when he chopped with David Nicholson.  Mandeville's finest has cashed over 47 times.

BJ McBrayer

McBrayer is a noted player on and off the coast.  He has almost 1 million  in tournament winnings.  He's been a consistent casher and winner in tournaments for the better part of a decade. 

His biggest score was second place for 96k at the World Poker Open in 08.   He's third all time in winnings in Alabama and is one of the state's most feared players.

   

Trishelle Canatella

The former Real World Las Vegas reality TV and Absolute Poker Pro/Spokesmodel made a televised final table at the WPT Celebrity Event in 2010. 

Though she is more known for being part of "trips" in a hot tub on MTV Canatella's reality fame leads many to underestimate her poker skills.  Should you sit down at a table with her don't make that mistake.  She's more than just a pretty face.

Katie Pansano

The first ever Queen of Poker Gras, Pansano's played in cash games in New Orleans and on the coast for years. Ben Saxton recently profiled her for 2+2 magazine here.

She's also a fixture in the mixed games and played online during the Poker Boom doing quite well in Omaha sit 'n goes. She's another vibrant and loud personality at the table, often lamenting or celebrating a hand by saying, "I play like a girl!"

   
Chris Sheffield

"Sheff" has won over 100k playing tournament poker even though his far more likely to be found grinding cash games than chasing circuit glory.

He's won three rings, including a repeat at the Harrahs NOLA WSOP-C Monster stack tournament in '15 and '16. He also final tabled the same event in '18.

Sheffield's resume reflects his ability in many games with cashes in H.O.R.S.E, Limit Omaha, PLO, Hold'em, 2-7 Triple Draw, and PLO Hi-Lo.
Seville Hale

A fixture in Pensacola's Big O and Hold'em cash games, Seville has also pounded the coastal tournaments.

He's won over $350k highlighted by a first place finish at the Beau Rivage with a 70k payout.


His verbal game allows him to sniff out weakness and he has to guts to attack it with any holding. A feared but beloved player, Seville is held in high regard by his 968 peers.
   
Kenny Milam

People look up to and admire the late Chip Reese for two reasons, he wasn't just a terror on the felt but also was a gentlemen.  Kenny Milam isn't much different and has also been terrorizing the local tournament scene. 

He regularly goes deep in the Harrahs Wednesday weekly tournament in New Orleans.  Away from the table when he isn't taking your chips he is about as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet. 

Don Dove

2018 has been good to Don Dove. He's won his first WSOP circuit ring and nabbed his two biggest cashes of his career.

The part time player has been garnering full time results --recently making the final table in 5 of the 7 events he's cashed. The other two finishes? 11th and 16th. Definitely seems to have turned a positive corner.

Jeremy "thechemist83" Gaubert

Jeremy Gaubert has booked a win close to $250,000 on Pokerstars and went deep in the 2008 WSOP Main Event taking 58th place.   He's 13th in Louisiana earnings with over 700k in live winnings.

Gaubert may go by the name Chemist but he's a quiet assassin with one of the highest ROIs on the coast.  He doesn't enter many tournaments but he always seems to get escourted to the cashier's cage when he does play.

David Nicholson

David "DNich" Nicholson aka Diesel has terrorized tables across the country for the better part of 10 years.  He's earned more than 1 million dollars including a Poker Gras 18 Main Event heads up chop. 

The Mississippi native is sixth all time in earnings in the state, with multiple circuit wins.  He's taken down the Main Event of a Bossier City stop for almost 150k.  

   

The "Poker Monkey"  Will Souther

With winnings of almost 750k Will has cashed an impressive 156 times.  He ranks 10th in Mississippi all time.  Will got his first first place finish late in 08 and then crushed for almost a decade.

He's taken a bit of step away from poker of late but still organizes the famous Monkey's Minions where he puts together a stable of WSOP Main Event players  For those that know him he's all heart.  Read his world followed blog here:

THE POKER MONKEY

Fred Berger

Six first place finishes, 59 cashes, and 1.25+ million in winnings.  What's there to say about Slidell's Fred Berger that the stats don't tell you?   He's known as a gentleman on and off the felt. 

Berger's hobby (his real job is owner of a Mardi Gras company), has an earned him a lot of respect on the tournament circuit and one WSOP bracelet. 

He's as cool as the other side of the pillow and he's most comfortable once the announcement has been made, "Congratulations you are all in the money."  

   

Michael Monaghan

Mikey has earned just shy of 300k in his young career.  The Mississippi rounder is 20th all time in the state and is a feared player in any event he enters. 

His biggest score to date a 2018 100k second place finish in the Ante Up World Championship was a result that was overdue to another one of the truly great guys in poker.  

Danny Doucet

The Lafayette, LA native has 66 cashes to his name including 17 since 2017. 

 Doucette is another of the gentlemen in poker, whose calm disposition belies his killer instincts.  He's cashed 10 times in WSOP Circuit Main Events and seems to thrive the better the competition. 

   
Teddy Conner

Teddy has been a machine cashing in 22 tournaments since 2017. He's earned around 200k and about to crack the top 50 in Louisiana.

His biggest score, 76k for fifth in a Seminole Hard Rock Event, has jettisioned him to another level in confidence.


The MP is hyper aware of his table and bides his time to prey on opponents that are getting too out of line or playing too tight.

Seen him use multiple gears to chip up and run deep. Another great guy on and off the felt.
Tara Snow

Tara is a fighter pure and simple.  She's battled through every setback and focused only on getting better at the game she loves.  The 2018 WSOP was a bit of a coming out party for her, as she final tabled the Ladies Event and cashed in the Main Event.  Norman Chad even name dropped her on the telecast a couple of times.

What the world found out, we already knew.  Tara can play. She's has three first places in her career including one for 150k. 
   
Hiep Doan

Hiep's story is an inspirational one.  The Vietnamese immigrant is a self made man, who came to the U.S. in the early 90s, landed a casino job and a couple of decades later plays poker for  a living.

Doan has won 330k and is 31st all time in Louisiana. He's got 5 first place finishes and cashed 18 times since 2017.

A true gentleman off the felt and an aggressive demon on it. Doan can turn you upside down and inside out with his unique playing style.

Gabe Costner

Albertville Alabama's Gabe Costner, who is now a Gulfport resident had a great 2010 World Series.  He was in contention in the main event and made a final table for a big score earlier.  Welcome back Gabe!  This follows up a great run a couple of years ago where he had a 4th place at the Bayou Classic Main Event to go with his first place in the IP Classic 2008 Main Event. 

Gabe also finished 5th at a WPT final table that included Hoyt Corkins and Freddie Deeb for what was his biggest cash.

Gabe's live tournament earnings are now over 1 million.

   
Rebecca "Smiley" Campbell

A former online player, this Baton Rouge native has had a career book-ended by two WSOP Main Event cashes. In 2009 she finished 288th and in 2018 just outside the top 1000.


"Smiley" has cashed 17 times since 2017 as she's transitioned to the live felt.

Her nickname is well earned as she has a deft ability to get you to smile with her as your chips slowly become hers.
James Bric Allen

Bric Allen his starting to get hot.

The Baton Rouge enthuisast finsihed third in the Gulf Coast Poker Heads-Up event in September of this year to go with two other top three finishes.


His hat evokes a big game hunter and in many ways that's how he approaches a tournament. Allen is ever-ready to pounce and everybody is his prey.
   
Priscilla "Prissy" Giroir

Prissy might earn our award for most improved player on the coast as she's starting to final table... a lot. She's cashed 20 times since 2017 and four of her last five cashes were final tables. The other a 15th place finish.


Oh, and for good measure she won two of those events. We expect her to continue to build on her recent results and snap off something big soon.
William "Cody" Stanford

Cody has grinded the tournament scene for some time now, but he's really gotten on a roll since 2017. He's won four tournaments outright and final tabled five other events.


He knows how to take risks to chip up and get the W, with three previous firsts in his career. From Tupelo, Cody sits at 30th all time in cashes for Mississippi.
   

Jason Gladden

Local Poker pro Jason Gladden is a PLO Monster.  With 150k in tournament earnings (10 of 12 of those in PLO) he's one of the most feared Omaha players on the Coast.   

Jason is known as a great guy, and is considered one of the best high limit cash game players on the Coast.  It doesn't really matter the game, if Gladden's in it, you don't want to tussle with him.

Tim "TK" Miles

The former New Orleans resident has gone from finishing 2nd at the 2008 Bayou Classic to earning a living  in South Florida.  This guy is a machine who is always a threat at the top of the leaderboard no matter where the tournament is located.  Laid back and in the zone, he'll attack you like that's no tomorrow when he's got an edge. 

Up to Black Friday, TK's  focus was on online tournaments and making his living on Sundays.  Since then TK has upped his live earnings to over 3.2 million in winnings with his biggest cash over 380k in September of 2018.

   
Dustin Stewart

Dustin charged onto the tournament poker scene in 2015 and hasn't looked back.  A 40k score contributed to his over 270k in earnings in just three years.  He's amassed three first places in 2018 alone and always seems to be in the thick of things or in the money at every event.  He's already up to 24th all time in Mississippi earnings.
Ray Curran

Ray exploded in 2018 coming out of nowhere to climb all the way up to 32nd all time in Mississippi winnings in less than a year.  He's won a circuit ring for 43k in New Orleans, and a Goliath Milly in Las Vegas for 143k.  The former cash game pro is now giving tournaments his attention.  Look for more big things from Ray in the future.
   
Jonathan "Fiery Justice" Little

Little has a "modest career" earnings totaling almost 7 million in earnings.  A Pensacola native and one of the most successful "internet" players who has transitioned to live tournaments Little has two WPT titles. 

He's also built a book and coaching empire and is one of the most successful players in and around the game of his generation.  The Pensacola kid is a true legend.

 

Tyler Smith

Tyler Smith, owns a bracelet, 1.2 million in earnings (3rd all time in Mississippi), and is regarded by his peers and his opponents as one of the top young players in the game today.  

"He'll steal from you from any position," and "He's always one move ahead," are just two of the quotes we've heard about Smith.  He now mostly enjoys cash games but the he'd be a favorite any time he entered a tournament.

   

Jared Ingles

Known online as "bearbuck" Ingles caught the attention of many live tournament followers with his Main Event run at World Series. 

He finished 56th for a $138k payday in 2010 and cashed again in the big one  in 2018.   

Kevin Eyster

Lafayette born,  Lafayette bred Eyster also known as 1$ickDisea$e, is an online and live star.  He's first all time in Louisiana in money earned with 4.4 million won in 114 cashes in live tournaments along.

Eyster got his start in Europe before he was 21, and has been steadilying adding to his bankroll since then. 

   
Jeter Brock

If you share a table with Jeter Brock it's a near lock, you will smile, laugh a little and pass a good time win or lose.

Even when the Alabama native is taking your chips he does it with self-deprecation and a casual style that has helped him  earn well over 350k lifetime.

With two out of his 14 cashes in 2018 outright wins, Jeter now has seven first places in his career. One of our favorites on the baize he's a man who dispenses wisdom in one liners and is usually drags every pot he enters.
Kyle Cartwright

The Tennessee native pushes the uppermost boundry of Gulf Coast Poker's footprint, but since he drops down to the Coast to periodically snap off the larger buy-in tournaments he's definitely one of us.

In September of 2017 he did just that winning the Main Event at the IP circuit stop for 118k. That's his second Main Event win there (2012 107k). Add in a couple of huge scores at the Beau and it feels like we are just shipping money north when Kyle shows up on the coast. The bracelet winner has 1.6 million in lifetime earnings with his biggest cash over 360k. Another fast starter Kyle won three out the first five live tournamtns he cashed.
   
Chris Savage

Savage ranks 30th all time in money won for Louisiana in live tournament cashes. He's also a legend from way back in the day of online poker.

The Denham Springs resident's biggest recent score is over 126k for winning the Main Event at the IP Biloxi in 2016.

It's clear Savage picks and chooses the events he plays these days. He's 30th with only 15 cashes which goes to show you he's got a great ROI.

 lo
Captain Ron Hope


The loquacious fisherman plays in more weekly and monthly tournaments per year than most people play in a career. He's constantly on the move as he ping pongs across the Gulf Coast.


Whether it's a Friday night tournament in Western Louisiana, a 50k on the Gulf Coast, a 100k in Tunica, or a home game in Baton Rouge, if they are dealing cards he's at the table.

With a focus on smaller buy-in tournaments Ronnie Hope has yet to hit a truly huge score but he's on the cusp for sure. The fisherman by trade has enough energy for two men half his age.
   

Shannon Shorr

One of Gulf Coast Poker.Net's longest running bloggers and Tuscaloosa, Alabama's pride is just as successful online as he is in live tournament play.  He's first all time in Alabama with 6.6 million in earnings. 

 In 2018 he made a deep run in the Main Event finishing 39th for 189k.  He's cashed in 200 tournaments in his career. 

 

"Captain" Tom Franklin

Gulfport, MS's Tom Franklin ranks first all time for Mississippi players.  You can usually find him on final tables.  He's gotten over 226 cashes to his name and a little over 3.2 million in tournament winnings. 

Captain Tom has a bracelet and sixteen first places finishes.  He's the proud parent of five children, and has been a fixture on the scene since 1983.  What a career!

   

Tim Burt

The Army veteran has a long career and has dominated many different forms of Poker.  The 2018 Gulf Coast Poker Championship winner ranks fifth all time in Mississippi earnings.  As quick with his wit as he is to the pot with the best hand, Burt quietly produces with 122 lifetime cashes.  

Caufman Talley

Caufman has earned ~one million dollars and is seventh all time in Louisiana earnings with a style that is brash and fearless.  He once quipped the secret to his success was that he just says All in a lot.   His career started at a blistering pace winning 4 of the first 10 tournaments he cashed and he hasn't looked back. 

   
Luther Tran

The Bayou La Batre rounder has earned over 270k for his career with his best cashes coming in the WSOP Main Event when he finished in the top 200 in 2015 and 2017. Might want to get a piece of him in 2019 if our math is right,

He's a humble but aggressive opponent who had his best year in 2017 and ranks 23rd all time in Alabama's money list.

David "Memphis" Lee

David burst onto the poker scene with some deep runs at the Beau Rivage and is now a fixture on the Gulf Coast ournament circuits. He's won over 440k, good for 20th in Tennessee all time.

His biggest score was for over 100k in 2015 and he followed that up snapping off the re-entry at the Million Dollar Heater in 2016. He won his first ring in 2018 and has steadily cashed over the last few years.  David has a fun personality and can smile with you as he relieves you of your chips.
   

Walter Chambers

With just under one million in life time winnings Chambers got a taste of fame by winning the televised New Orleans WSOP-Circuit Main Event table in 2005 for almost 800k. 

With 29 cashes including 4 at the WSOP in 2018  this Baton Rouge rounder continues to be one of the most dangerous players on the Gulf Coast. 

Bert Ladner

Contrary to popular opinion they didn't start playing poker when Chris Moneymaker came to the game.  Bert Ladner had been dominating the cash game for some time.  Ladner is a fixture in Blixoi and has gentle disposition most nights but a ruthless game. 

Ladner is relatively new to tournament poker but already has two first place finishes to his name.  Don't let the trademark fedora fool you, his game, is as modern as it comes. 

   

Don't want to wait until we find you?  To get your face up here, send a picture and a list of accomplishments to: Wild Bill

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