Thomas Keller (card player)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Keller is an American
professional poker
player, residing in Scottsdale
, Arizona
and Las Vegas, Nevada
. He is the brother of Shawn "Lightning" Keller.
Keller graduated from Stanford University
with a degree in economics
in 2002. It was at Stanford where he began playing poker, having been influenced by the movie Rounders
. Like David Williams
and Noah Boeken
, Keller credits his experience of playing Magic: The Gathering
as a helpful factor in his poker career.
In Phoenix, his jump from playing low limits to the biggest high stakes games happened quickly. One local story is that Keller won so many $100 chips at Casino Arizona that the casino ran out, forcing high limit players to buy chips from him, which he sold from the trunk of his car. Keller has said the story is absurd, but the fact it persists attests to how well keller did in high limit games during the era.
In December 2003, Keller won the $281,525 first prize in the $2,500 no limit
hold'em event of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, defeating Allen Cunningham
in the final heads-up confrontation.
He went on to defeat Martin De Knijff
to win a World Series of Poker
bracelet in 2004
in the $5,000 no limit hold'em event.
Keller also appeared on the World Poker Tour
(WPT) Young Guns of Poker invitational, where he finished 4th. He is also a part of Robert Williamson III
's Team America in the Poker Nations Cup
.
Keller has been a primary columnist for Card Player Magazine since 2004.
He married his wife Andra on April 24, 2004. Andra gave birth to their first child, Kaylee Keller, in September of 2006. They are expecting their second child in late February of 2009.
Keller lost over 200 pounds after having gastric bypass surgery
.
Keller cashed twice at the 2008 World Series of Poker
including finishing in 61st place out of 6,844 entries in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event, earning $115,800.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,200,000. His 5 cashes as the WSOP account for $789,127 of those winnings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, residing in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Las Vegas, Nevada
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 is the brother of Shawn "Lightning" Keller.
Keller graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
with a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 2002. It was at Stanford where he began playing poker, having been influenced by the movie Rounders
Rounders (film)
Rounders is a 1998 film about the underground world of high-stakes poker. Directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, the movie follows two friends who need to quickly earn enough cash playing poker to pay off a large debt...
. Like David Williams
David Williams (card player)
David Anthony Williams is a professional poker player and popular Magic: The Gathering player.-Personal life:Williams was born in Arlington, Texas. He briefly attended Princeton University before switching to study economics at Southern Methodist University...
and Noah Boeken
Noah Boeken
Noah Boeken is a Dutch professional poker and Magic: The Gathering player.-Magic:In the 1997 Pro Tour Chicago, Boeken finished in 15th place, and later 32nd at Pro Tour Mainz...
, Keller credits his experience of playing Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
as a helpful factor in his poker career.
In Phoenix, his jump from playing low limits to the biggest high stakes games happened quickly. One local story is that Keller won so many $100 chips at Casino Arizona that the casino ran out, forcing high limit players to buy chips from him, which he sold from the trunk of his car. Keller has said the story is absurd, but the fact it persists attests to how well keller did in high limit games during the era.
In December 2003, Keller won the $281,525 first prize in the $2,500 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...
hold'em event of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, defeating Allen Cunningham
Allen Cunningham
Allen Cunningham is an American professional poker player.Cunningham studied civil engineering at UCLA before dropping out of school to play poker professionally. At the age of 18, he began playing at in Indian casinos...
in the final heads-up confrontation.
He went on to defeat Martin De Knijff
Martin De Knijff
Martin de Knijff is a professional sports bettor and high-stakes poker player from Gothenburg, Sweden.His last name is from his Dutch father. His mother is Swedish...
to win a 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...
bracelet 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...
in the $5,000 no limit hold'em event.
Keller also appeared 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...
(WPT) Young Guns of Poker invitational, where he finished 4th. He is also a part of Robert Williamson III
Robert Williamson III
Robert Williamson III is an American poker player from Dallas, Texas.Williamson grew up with three sisters and his best friend, Chris Caywood in Granbury, Texas and received B.B.A. degrees in finance and real estate from Angelo State University in San Angelo.He began playing aged 10 or 11, after...
's Team America in the Poker Nations Cup
Poker Nations Cup
The Poker Nations Cup is an international poker tournament, televised on Channel 4 from March 2006 onwards.The series is commentated by Jesse May and Barny Boatman. Padraig Parkinson covered for Boatman in preliminary match 2....
.
Keller has been a primary columnist for Card Player Magazine since 2004.
He married his wife Andra on April 24, 2004. Andra gave birth to their first child, Kaylee Keller, in September of 2006. They are expecting their second child in late February of 2009.
Keller lost over 200 pounds after having gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass procedures are any of a group of similar operations that first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. Surgeons have developed several different ways...
.
Keller cashed twice at the 2008 World Series of Poker
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...
including finishing in 61st place out of 6,844 entries in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event, earning $115,800.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,200,000. His 5 cashes as the WSOP account for $789,127 of those winnings.