Steve Dannenmann
Encyclopedia
Steven Paul "Steve" Dannenmann (born August 15, 1966 in Baltimore
, Maryland
) is a CPA
from Severn, Maryland
who gained attention in the poker world for his success in the 2005 World Series of Poker
, finishing runner-up to Joe Hachem
in the Main Event in his first attempt. He won $4,250,000 as the result of this 2nd place finish.
After his 2nd place Main Event finish, Dannenmann said that he will not quit his job because it has taken a long time to establish his business and finds much passion advising his clients to make sound financial decisions.
Dannenmann feels that Dan Harrington
's book on the end-game of No Limit Hold-Em tournaments helped him greatly with his success. He read volume II just days before playing the Main Event.
On the way to second place, he knocked out 1994 WSOP
champion Russ Hamilton
and Mike Matusow
. Since the Main Event, he was tutored in poker by Matusow, with whom he has become good friends.
His finish in the main event qualified him for the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions
, where he finished in fifth place and won $100,000. During the final table, he lambasted Phil Hellmuth Jr
for his behaviour toward the tournament director by refusing to stack his chips and purposely and continuously slowing the tournament down.
Dannenmann considers himself to be superstitious
. He refuses to ride in a cab
unless the cab ended in an even number that year, wore the same shirt 7 days in a row during the tournament and used his lucky globe as a card protector.
In the press conference after the WSOP Main Event, Dannenmann said that he found that playing poker for 7 consecutive days for 12–14 hours to be boring
, which led to criticism from some professionals.
He has also competed on the World Poker Tour
and has cashed in two events. His highest WPT cash was $65,000 for his 11th place finish in the 2008 Borgata Poker Open tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey
.
As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,500,000. His 3 cashes at the WSOP account for $4,271,489 of those winnings.
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
) is a CPA
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
from Severn, Maryland
Severn, Maryland
Severn is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 35,076 at the 2000 census, which is a 30 percent increase over the 24,499 population of 1990...
who gained attention in the poker world for his success in the 2005 World Series of Poker
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...
, finishing runner-up to Joe Hachem
Joe Hachem
Joseph Hachem is a Lebanese-Australian professional poker player known for winning the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. He was the first Australian to win the main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.The next year, Hachem won his...
in the Main Event in his first attempt. He won $4,250,000 as the result of this 2nd place finish.
CPA Career
Dannenmann is a certified public accountant, financial advisor and mortgage loan officer in his own firm since 1991.After his 2nd place Main Event finish, Dannenmann said that he will not quit his job because it has taken a long time to establish his business and finds much passion advising his clients to make sound financial decisions.
Poker Career
Arriving as a fresh face on the poker scene, during one WSOP segment he claimed to be merely "the fourth best player in his home game" prior to his entry in the Main Event. In fact the 2005 WSOP Main Event was his very first recorded tournament cash. Before this, he mainly played in his home game with friends. He did not want to pay the entire main event fee himself so he split the $10,000 entry fee 50/50 with his friend Jerry Ditzel. After finishing 2nd in the Main Event, Dannenmann split the $4,250,000 prize with him.Dannenmann feels that Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington is a professional poker player, best known for winning the main event world championship at the 1995 World Series of Poker. He has earned one World Poker Tour title, two WSOP bracelets, and over six million dollars in tournament cashes in his poker career...
's book on the end-game of No Limit Hold-Em tournaments helped him greatly with his success. He read volume II just days before playing the Main Event.
On the way to second place, he knocked out 1994 WSOP
1994 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 268 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. Since this was the 25th Anniversary of the event, the winner received $1,000,000, plus his/her weight in silver, in celebration of the WSOP's silver anniversary.-Final table:-Other...
champion Russ Hamilton
Russ Hamilton
Russ Hamilton was the 1994 World Series of Poker main event champion. He defeated Hugh Vincent in heads-up play to win $1 million in first-prize money, as well as his body weight in silver. Following his World Series win, Hamilton served as a consultant for Ultimate Bet, an online poker server...
and Mike Matusow
Mike Matusow
Michael Matusow is an American professional poker player, residing in Henderson, Nevada. Matusow's nickname of "The Mouth" reflects his reputation for trash-talking at the poker table...
. Since the Main Event, he was tutored in poker by Matusow, with whom he has become good friends.
His finish in the main event qualified him for the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions
World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions
The World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions is an invitational freeroll poker event. Wins in this event do not count as official WSOP bracelets, but the winner receives a large trophy in the shape of the official World Series of Poker logo. In 2010, the WSOP Tournament of Champions returned...
, where he finished in fifth place and won $100,000. During the final table, he lambasted Phil Hellmuth Jr
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...
for his behaviour toward the tournament director by refusing to stack his chips and purposely and continuously slowing the tournament down.
Dannenmann considers himself to be superstitious
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
. He refuses to ride in a cab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
unless the cab ended in an even number that year, wore the same shirt 7 days in a row during the tournament and used his lucky globe as a card protector.
In the press conference after the WSOP Main Event, Dannenmann said that he found that playing poker for 7 consecutive days for 12–14 hours to be boring
Boredom
Boredom is an emotional state experienced when an individual is without any activity or is not interested in their surroundings. The first recorded use of the word boredom is in the novel Bleak House by Charles Dickens, written in 1852, in which it appears six times, although the expression to be a...
, which led to criticism from some professionals.
He has also competed on the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
and has cashed in two events. His highest WPT cash was $65,000 for his 11th place finish in the 2008 Borgata Poker Open tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.
As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,500,000. His 3 cashes at the WSOP account for $4,271,489 of those winnings.