Roy Cooke
Encyclopedia
Roy Cooke is a professional poker player, poker consultant and author living in Las Vegas, Nevada
. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia
, April 12, 1957. He spent his childhood in Derby, England and Bellevue, Washington
. Before taking up poker full-time he attended the University of Washington where he majored in Computer Science.
Cooke has been a licensed Real Estate Broker in Las Vegas
since 1990 He is a member of the Summerlin chapter of Toastmasters, of which he was president in 2006. He is married to the former Francine Piano (Misty). They have one daughter, Krystle, born on August 16th,1992.
In 1984 Cooke moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He has played regularly with many WSOP champions including Johnny Moss
, Berry Johnston
, Tom McEvoy
, Carlos Mortenson, Scotty Nguyen
, Daniel Negreanu
and Phil Hellmuth
.
The game Cooke most frequently plays is Limit Texas Hold’em, although he forays somewhat regularly into No-Limit Hold’em. He has played almost 65,000 hours of poker live and online.
, written a poker column, Real Poker, for CardPlayer Magazine, where he is Senior Columnist. It is reputedly the longest continuously running poker feature in the world.
The forewords to Cooke and Bond’s books have been written by major poker figures David Sklansky
, Mike Caro
, Linda Johnson
, Mike Sexton
, Daniel Negreanu
, Chris Ferguson
and Phil Gordon
.
founded in 1998 by Randy Blumer
of Victoria, British Columbia. Planet Poker
turned to Cooke and fellow poker personality Mike Caro
(known as The Mad Genius of Poker) to give the poker site credibility. While at Planet Poker
, Cooke designed most of the protocols which are the foundation of the industry standard for protection against collusion.
Cooke has served as a private consultant to a number of Internet poker sites and been a featured speaker on marketing and anti-collusion protocols for poker sites at industry trade shows sponsored by River City Group, including the Global International Gaming Expo (GIGSE) in Montreal (2005-2006).
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, April 12, 1957. He spent his childhood in Derby, England and Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
. Before taking up poker full-time he attended the University of Washington where he majored in Computer Science.
Cooke has been a licensed Real Estate Broker in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
since 1990 He is a member of the Summerlin chapter of Toastmasters, of which he was president in 2006. He is married to the former Francine Piano (Misty). They have one daughter, Krystle, born on August 16th,1992.
Poker career
Cooke started playing poker in public cardrooms as a 15 year old in Washington State in 1972. He took up the game full time in 1975. Through the 70s and early 80s he was a nomadic player—a rounder—traveling from town-to-town looking for games in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Reno, Nevada.In 1984 Cooke moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He has played regularly with many WSOP champions including Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss was a gambler and professional poker player. He was the first winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event, at the time a cash game event in which he was awarded the title by the vote of his peers in 1970, He also twice won the current tournament format of the WSOP Main Event in...
, Berry Johnston
Berry Johnston
Berry Enfield Johnston is an American professional poker player. He is best known as the 1986 World Champion, but he has also won four other bracelets at the World Series of Poker in addition to cashes and wins in many other tournaments throughout his career.- Poker career :Johnston won the 1986...
, Tom McEvoy
Tom McEvoy
Thomas K. McEvoy is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for his win in the 1983 World Series of Poker main event.-Early life:...
, Carlos Mortenson, Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
, Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...
and Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
.
The game Cooke most frequently plays is Limit Texas Hold’em, although he forays somewhat regularly into No-Limit Hold’em. He has played almost 65,000 hours of poker live and online.
Author
Since 1992 Cooke has, with his collaborator and co-author John BondJohn Adikes Bond
John Adikes Bond is an author, attorney, poker player, political activist and real estate developer born in Jamaica, New York January 14, 1955. He grew up in Massapequa and Port Washington, New York before moving to South Florida in 1972. He currently resides between Dania Beach, Florida and...
, written a poker column, Real Poker, for CardPlayer Magazine, where he is Senior Columnist. It is reputedly the longest continuously running poker feature in the world.
| Books (co-authored with John Bond John Adikes Bond John Adikes Bond is an author, attorney, poker player, political activist and real estate developer born in Jamaica, New York January 14, 1955. He grew up in Massapequa and Port Washington, New York before moving to South Florida in 1972. He currently resides between Dania Beach, Florida and... ) |
|---|
| Real Poker: The Cooke Collection (MCU Press, 1999) |
| Real Poker II: The Play of Hands (1st edition MCU Press 2001) |
| Real Poker II: The Play of Hands (2nd edition ConJelCo Publishing 2005) |
| Cooke’s Rules of Real Poker (ConJelCo Publishing, 2005) |
| The Home Poker Handbook (ConJelCo Publishing, 2007) |
| How to Think Like a Poker Pro (ConJelCo Publishing, 2008) |
| How to Play Like a Poker Pro (ConJelCo Publishing, 2008) |
The forewords to Cooke and Bond’s books have been written by major poker figures David Sklansky
David Sklansky
-Life and career:Sklansky was born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he graduated from Teaneck High School in 1966. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, but left before graduation. He returned to Teaneck and passed multiple Society of Actuaries exams by the time he was 20, and worked...
, Mike Caro
Mike Caro
Mike A. Caro is a professional poker player, pioneer poker theorist, author of poker books, and casino executive.-Author:...
, Linda Johnson
Linda Johnson
Linda Johnson is an American professional poker player, journalist and consultant, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was elected into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2011.-Early life:Linda Johnson was born in 1953 in Long Island, New York...
, Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton
Michael Richard Sexton is an American professional poker player and commentator. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
, Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...
, Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
and Phil Gordon
Phil Gordon
Philip Stewart Gordon is an American professional poker player, commentator and author.-Personal life:Gordon was born in El Paso, Texas. He spent his formative years in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gordon began attending Georgia Tech at the age of 15 while still attending high school...
.
Poker Consulting
From 1999-2005 Cooke was the cardroom manager of the world’s first real money Internet poker room, Planet PokerPlanet Poker
Planet Poker was the first real-money cardroom for playing online poker, opening in 1998.-The pioneer:Without an existing model to follow, Planet Poker founder Randy Blumer was entering uncharted territory. During the initial launch and testing phases in late 1997, Planet Poker started to build a...
founded in 1998 by Randy Blumer
Randy Blumer
Randy Blumer, born in Edmonton, Alberta on October 21, 1958 is widely acknowledged as having started the multibillion dollar online poker industry with the launch of Planet Poker, the world's first real money online poker room on January 1, 1998....
of Victoria, British Columbia. Planet Poker
Planet Poker
Planet Poker was the first real-money cardroom for playing online poker, opening in 1998.-The pioneer:Without an existing model to follow, Planet Poker founder Randy Blumer was entering uncharted territory. During the initial launch and testing phases in late 1997, Planet Poker started to build a...
turned to Cooke and fellow poker personality Mike Caro
Mike Caro
Mike A. Caro is a professional poker player, pioneer poker theorist, author of poker books, and casino executive.-Author:...
(known as The Mad Genius of Poker) to give the poker site credibility. While at Planet Poker
Planet Poker
Planet Poker was the first real-money cardroom for playing online poker, opening in 1998.-The pioneer:Without an existing model to follow, Planet Poker founder Randy Blumer was entering uncharted territory. During the initial launch and testing phases in late 1997, Planet Poker started to build a...
, Cooke designed most of the protocols which are the foundation of the industry standard for protection against collusion.
Cooke has served as a private consultant to a number of Internet poker sites and been a featured speaker on marketing and anti-collusion protocols for poker sites at industry trade shows sponsored by River City Group, including the Global International Gaming Expo (GIGSE) in Montreal (2005-2006).