Matthew Hilger
Encyclopedia
Matthew Hilger is an American
professional poker player and author from Atlanta, Georgia
. He also operates his own poker-related website
.
with a Bachelor's degree
in Finance
(1989) and a Master's degree
from Georgia State University
in Finance in(1991). He received a second Master's in International business
from Thunderbird School of Global Management (1996), then worked for Accenture
(then Andersen Consulting) in numerous positions.
professional during 2001 and made over $100,000 playing online in his first year, playing limit
poker from $1/$2 to $30/$60. At the time he wrote his first book, he had played over 7,000 hours of online poker
.
His writings include:
Hilger won the 2002 New Zealand
Poker Championship and went on to finish in the money in the World Series of Poker
(WSOP) $10,000 no limit
Texas hold 'em
main event in 2004
(33rd,) 2005
(332nd) and 2007
(221st.)
On Sunday, May 4th, 2008, he won the Full Tilt Poker 750k guaranteed for $132,788 besting a 3600+ player field.
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $270,000.
on the piano
. He is also a big supporter of the Colombian children's charity COLOMBIANITOS, having served on the board of directors until 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker player and author from Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He also operates his own poker-related website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
.
Early years
Prior to poker, Hilger graduated from University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
with a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
(1989) and a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
in Finance in(1991). He received a second Master's in International business
International Business
International business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions that take place between two or more regions, countries and nations beyond their political boundary...
from Thunderbird School of Global Management (1996), then worked for Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
(then Andersen Consulting) in numerous positions.
Poker career
Hilger became an online pokerOnline poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
professional during 2001 and made over $100,000 playing online in his first year, playing limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
poker from $1/$2 to $30/$60. At the time he wrote his first book, he had played over 7,000 hours of online poker
Online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
.
His writings include:
- Internet Texas Hold 'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro (ISBN 0-9741502-0-7)
- Texas Hold 'em Odds and Probabilities: Limit, No-limit and Tournament Strategies (ISBN 0-9741502-2-3)
- The Poker Mindset: Essential Attitudes for Poker Success (with Ian Taylor) (ISBN 0-9741502-3-1)
- Card Player Magazine (numerous articles)
- The Hendon MobThe Hendon MobThe Hendon Mob are a group of four professional poker players from London, England:* Joe Beevers* Barny Boatman* Ross Boatman* Ram VaswaniThe name of the group was first publicised by the Evening Standard newspaper in September 2000....
website (numerous articles)
Hilger won the 2002 New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Poker Championship and went on to finish in the money in the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) $10,000 no limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
main event in 2004
2004 World Series of Poker
The 2004 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe after Harrah's Entertainment purchased the casino and the rights to the tournament in January...
(33rd,) 2005
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
(332nd) and 2007
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
(221st.)
On Sunday, May 4th, 2008, he won the Full Tilt Poker 750k guaranteed for $132,788 besting a 3600+ player field.
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $270,000.
Personal life
Outside of poker, Hilger enjoys composing musicMusical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
on the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. He is also a big supporter of the Colombian children's charity COLOMBIANITOS, having served on the board of directors until 2009.