Allen Cunningham (born March 28, 1977) 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. Previously a Full Tilt sponsored pro, he became a full member of Team Full Tilt in October 2006.
Cunningham earned the title 2005 ESPN/Toyota Player of the Year and came close to winning it again in 2006. He was also voted by fellow professional poker players the Best All Around Player under 35.
Cunningham's single largest tournament payout occurred at the 2006 World Series of Poker when he finished in fourth place in the Main Event earning $3,628,513. Frequently during the tournament, when other players tried to take on Cunningham, ESPN's Norman Chad would respond with comments such as: "What are they thinking of? This is Allen Cunningham!"
Cunningham joined a short list of players who have won a World Series of Poker Bracelet in three consecutive years after winning his fifth bracelet in 2007. Others to accomplish this include Johnny Moss, Bill Boyd, Doyle Brunson, Gary Berland and Erik Seidel.
Cunningham won the $300,000 'Mega Match' on Poker After Dark that aired the week of October 8, 2007. On December 7, 2007, Allen Cunningham won the 15,000 buy-in inaugural National Poker League Vegas Open Championship Main Event after defeating David Singer during heads-up play, winning over $325,000.
On May 1, 2008, Cunningham won the 2008 World Series of Poker Circuit event at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, earning $499,162. In the 2008 World Series of Poker Cunningham made another deep run in the Main Event finishing 117th place out of 6844 players, earning $41,816.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $11,200,000, tenth on the all time winnings list, behind only Jamie Gold, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Joe Hachem, Scotty Nguyen, Peter Eastgate, John Juanda and Phil Ivey. As of 2010, his 44 cashes including his five bracelets have netted him $6,858,680 in WSOP earnings.
He resides in Las Vegas with girlfriend Melissa Hayden and their dog, Muffin.
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $5,000 Seven-card stud | $201,760 |
| 2002 | $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $160,200 |
| 2005 | $1,500 No Limit Hold 'em | $725,405 |
| 2006 | $1,000 No Limit Hold'em/w Rebuys | $625,830 |
| 2007 | $5,000 Pot Limit Hold'em | $487,287 |
Famous quotes containing the words allen and/or cunningham:
“I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
“Like an old brandy after a long rain,
Distinguished, and familiar, and aloof.”
—James Vincent Cunningham (1911–1985)