10 Poker Trivia Questions

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10 Poker Trivia Questions

Caught up in the poker craze? Can’t get away from the televised tournaments?

Think you know the stars like Howard, Annie, the many Phil's, Barry, the Magician, the Grinder, and the Unabomber?

Well, here’s the chance to impress your buddies on poker night. See if you can identify the players in this quiz.

Answers below.

1. His sister called him a “two bit, losing gambler.”

A. Phil Laak
B. Phil Ivey
C. Howard Lederer
D. Layne Flack

2. Worked as a telemarketer in New Brunswick, N. J.

A. David Ulliott
B. Huck Seed
C. Phil Hellmuth
D. Phil Ivey

3. “Better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a lamb”

A. Doyle Brunson
B. Jack Straus
C. Stu Ungar
D. Chris Moneymaker

4. A former patent attorney from Connecticut

A. Robert Varkonyi
B. Greg Raymer
C. Layne Flack
D. Kathy Liebert

5. Has had two kidney transplants

A. Jennifer Tilly
B. Cyndie Violette
C. Betty Carey
D. Jen Harman

6. The banker who lost $20 million dollars to top pros

A. Andy Beal
B. Bill Gates
C. Austin Powers
D. Ted Forrest

7. The “Robin Hood” of Poker

A. Barry Greenstein
B. Bill Gates
C. Howard Lederer
D. Phil Hellmuth

8. A former kindergarten teacher

A. Doyle Brunson
B. Dewey Tomko
C. Puggy Pearson
D. Sailor Roberts

9. Beat a top ping pong champion, using a coke bottle as a paddle

A. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson
B. Scotty Nguyen
C. Mike “The Mouth” Matusow
D. Amarillo Slim Preston

10. Former professional football player

A. Erik Seidel
B. Erick Lindgren
C. Todd Brunson
D. T. J. Cloutier

And the answers:

1. In her book, Poker Face, Katy Lederer calls her brother Howard, “a two bit, losing gambler.” This goes back to his days as a 22 year old in New York when he was sleeping on a park bench and cleaning toilets, scraping together a few dollars to play chess, backgammon, or poker. Howard Lederer is now one of the top pros in the world. His instructional DVD’s have sold more than 500,000 copies.

2. Phil Ivey, in a World Poker Tour interview, said that he worked at a telemarketing job in New Brunswick, N. J. He would work for a little while, earn some money, play poker, lose, work for a little while, etc.

3. 1982 World Series of Poker champion, Jack Straus, was a big game hunter. He wore a lion’s tooth as jewelry around his neck. The quote comes from The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez.

4. 2004 World Series of Poker winner, Greg Raymer, is a former patent attorney from Connecticut. He won his seat at the World Series in an online tournament. He is also known as “Fossilman.” Wears weird glasses at the poker table.

5. Jennifer (Jen) Harman has had two kidney transplants. Her father was the donor for the first one. Her 23 year old niece, Aunnie, was the donor for the second one. The second transplant came at a most inconvenient time. She was millions ahead in the richest poker game in history, as reported by Michael Craig in the book, The Professor (Howard Lederer is the Professor), The Banker, and The Suicide King.

6. Andy Beal, a billionaire banker from Houston is reported to have lost $20 million dollars to a team of pros including Lederer, Jen Harman, Barry Greenstein, Ted Forrest, and others. This is also from the Michael Craig book, The Professor, The Banker, and The Suicide King.

7. Barry Greenstein, much to his chagrin, is sometimes referred to as “Charity Barry,” or “The Robin Hood of Poker.” He gives all of his tournament winnings to charity, some $3 millions dollars to date, and counting. See his book, Ace on the River, for more details.

8. Dewey Tomko, with almost $3 million dollars in tournament winnings, has been profiled on the World Poker Tour as having once been a kindergarten teacher in Winter Haven, Florida. Dewey owns a casino in Costa Rica.

9. In his book, Amarillo Slim in a World of Fat People, Slim Preston talks about having bested one ping pong champion while using a coke bottle as a paddle, and another, using a frying pan as a paddle.

10. T. J. Cloutier played in the Canadian Football League, once for the Montreal Allouettes and also for the Toronto Argonauts

Bonus question:

He’s a really big poker player. 6’ 9” in fact. Who is it?

A. Phil Ivey
B. Phil Hellmuth
C. Phil Gordon
D. Phil Laak

Phil Gordon, co-host of Bravo TV’s “Celebrity Poker Showdown” is 6’ 9” tall. He is a World Poker Tour winner. He raises millions of dollars for the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

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How did you do?

9-10 correct.

You’re ready for the World Series of Poker. Get $10,000 together and go for it.

7-8 correct.

Find an easy World Poker Tour event.

5-6 correct.

Stick with $2/$4 tables

4 or less.

Stick with free online games for now.

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Take the quiz with you to your next game and see how well your friends do.

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© 2005 Murphy James

Murphy James is a freelance journalist specializing in the gaming industry. He has been published in men's magazines, gaming publications, business journals, and newspapers. His website is http://www.murphyjames.com His email address is [email protected].

His most recent interviews have been with poker pros Barry Greenstein ("Ace on the River") and Jen Harman (one of the players in the richest poker game in history) about their philanthropic activities, and gambler, author, and teacher, Jerry Patterson ("Casino Gambling"), about his blackjack, craps, and roulette systems.