Poker Statistics 2026

The poker industry has become a global phenomenon, with millions of players worldwide regularly participating in the game both online and in person. Combining elements of chance, psychology, and strategic decision-making, poker’s appeal is far-reaching, attracting everyone from casual hobbyists to high-stakes gamblers and elite professionals.

But how big is the poker industry? And who are the main players, nations, and trends driving the game’s growth? To learn more, we’ve collated the latest poker statistics for 2026, covering market statistics, the number of poker players worldwide, the highest-earning players, and more.

Top 10 Must-Know Poker Statistics

How Many People Play Poker?

Poker participation spans regulated online rooms, live tournament circuits, and free-to-play mobile apps, and few of those report player numbers publicly. The figures below cover the global online player base and the number of platforms serving it.

Number of Poker Players Worldwide

Accurately estimating the number of poker players worldwide is challenging because there is no universal definition of what counts as an “active” poker player. A report from MarkNtel Advisors, covered in PR Newswire, indicated that there are over 100 million online poker players worldwide.

The poker industry is supported by over 500 active online platforms, according to the same report, highlighting the game’s status as one of the world’s most popular skill-based gambling games.

For a broader view of the wider gambling sector, including land-based and online casino markets, see our Casino Statistics 2026 research page.

Poker Market Statistics

The sections below cover projected market size, how revenue splits by region and by platform, and the balance between cash games and tournaments. All figures refer to online poker only, since published totals for the wider poker market are not directly comparable.

Global Online Poker Market Size

Poker statistics from Fortune Business Insights estimate that the online poker market will grow from $4.78 billion in 2026 to $10.53 billion by 2034, representing a CAGR of 10.37%.

Data from Grand View Research offers a similar picture, with the global online poker market undergoing a CAGR of 10.2%, and market size expected to increase from $4.7 billion in 2026 to $6.9 billion by 2030.

Industry estimates of the global online poker market vary considerably. With no universally accepted definition of the “global online poker market,” different research firms use different methodologies and include different market segments.

This means estimates can conflict with one another and are not always directly comparable, so there is no definitively credible published number for the global online poker market.

Global Online Poker Market Share by Region

North America dominates the global online poker market, occupying 38% of the industry, making it the only region with a market share exceeding 30%.

Europe has the next highest market share, at 29%. This means that when combined, North America and Europe account for over two thirds of the global online poker market.

In 2024, online poker generated €1.5 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) across Europe, accounting for around 3% of the continent’s total online gambling GGR.

Though Asia’s share of 24% placed it third highest overall, it was over double the market share occupied by the rest of the world outside Europe and North America. This demonstrates the significant gulf between markets like South America and Africa and the industry-leading regions.

Online Poker Statistics by Platform

Online poker statistics show that mobile plays a significant role in the online poker market, with an overall share of 58%, compared to 42% for desktop. This highlights the appeal of on-the-move gameplay, with widespread smartphone accessibility and wider mobile gaming adoption identified as key factors.

Despite the lower market share, the report highlights that desktop is preferred by many cash game and tournament players due to larger displays, greater access to real-time analytics, and enhanced gameplay features.

Cash Game Versus Tournament Market Share

Tournament play, covering multi-table tournaments (MTTs) and sit-and-gos, is responsible for the largest share of the global online poker market at 53%.

Cash games accounted for the remaining 47%, highlighting the relatively even split between the two major online poker formats.

Poker Player Behavior Statistics

The data in this section comes from a YouGov survey of UK online poker players, published in January 2025. It covers which platforms players prefer, how much they spend each month, and what drives their choice of site.

Poker Platform User Preferences

Poker statistics from YouGov found that the online poker space in the UK was dominated by a string of established brands. In a survey of online poker players, 16% cited PokerStars as their preferred platform, with a similar number choosing Sky Poker (15%) and 888poker (15%).

Bet365 was the fourth most cited platform, with 14% selecting this as their preferred online poker site. Together, the four leading operators were selected by three in every five players surveyed. This demonstrates the concentrated nature of the UK online poker market, while also highlighting the competitiveness among the leading brands.

The report also highlights William Hill, Ladbrokes, and Paddy Power as having smaller but notable shares of the market, further cementing the dominance of the most prominent gambling brands in the online poker space.

The survey was conducted in 2024, so these figures represent the UK online poker market at that time. The market is evolving, with Sky Poker set to join the PokerStars Network in 2026 as part of Flutter’s move towards shared player pools across its poker brands.

For network traffic data on the world’s leading poker sites, updated monthly, see our Online Poker Traffic Report.

How Much Do Poker Players Spend on Average?

The majority of online poker players in the UK spend between £1 and £100 per month, with 57% of surveyed players reporting monthly expenditure within this range. This was over double the total of the next highest spending range, with 28% reporting expenditure between £101 and £500.

This means that 85% of online poker players in the UK spend less than £500 per month.

The remaining 15% of players reported monthly expenditure exceeding £500. While this was less than a third of the proportion spending under £100 per month, it highlights a sizable minority of players willing to commit significant expenditure to online poker each month.

What Do Poker Players Look For When Choosing an Online Poker Site?

Bonuses and ongoing rewards were the strongest drivers of platform choice among surveyed UK players:

Taken together, these figures suggest that promotional value and long-term reward structures matter more to UK players than brand familiarity alone.

Poker Demographic Statistics

Age data in this section is UK specific and comes from the same YouGov survey. The gender split is reported by YouGov on a global basis.

Number of Poker Players by Age

Poker statistics from YouGov show a diverse age range of online poker players in the UK. Those aged 35 to 54 were responsible for the most players, with 44% of surveyed players belonging to this age group.

This was only slightly ahead of those aged 18 to 34, who accounted for 43% of players. This age group commanded a much higher percentage in online poker than in other popular gambling activities, such as the lottery (18%), online sports betting (23%), or online casino gaming (33%).

This suggests online poker resonates particularly well with younger adults, potentially reflecting the game’s greater emphasis on poker strategy and in-game decision-making compared with other popular gambling activities.

Number of Poker Players by Gender

On a global scale, men dominate the online poker space, with a YouGov study finding 75% of players worldwide were men, compared to 25% of women.

The study notes that these figures are consistent with wider gambling trends, with men outnumbering women in both participation and spending.

Poker Variant Statistics

Poker is played in many formats, but search demand is concentrated in a small number of them. The analysis below is our own, tracking US and UK search volumes for ten poker variants across a full decade.

The Most Popular Poker Variants by Search Demand

VIP-Grinders tracked the search activity of ten major poker games over the last decade to see how demand and popularity have shifted over time. Full methodology is set out at the end of this page.

Texas Hold’em is the most searched-for poker variant in the US, with an average monthly search volume of 127,149 in 2025. That is the highest annual average the game has recorded across the decade, ahead of the previous high of 126,306 in 2024.

Texas Hold’em has led the US figures in every year of the study, with its 2025 average more than 50,000 higher than the next most searched variant.

Searches for Texas Hold’em are easily confused with Beyoncé’s single of the same name, which reached number one in February 2024. Our figures use poker-qualified search terms only, which is why the trend below rises steadily rather than spiking in 2024.

The US average annual search volumes of various poker games, 2016 to 2025. Source: VIP-Grinders / Ahrefs

Omaha Poker was the second most searched poker game in the US in 2025, with average monthly volumes exceeding 73,000, up by over 1,000 on 2024. Omaha figures have held up well across the decade, with a low of 60,651 in 2019 and a high of 78,310 in 2020.

As in the US, Texas Hold’em was the most searched-for poker game in the UK in 2025, generating 28,198 monthly searches on average. That represents a year-on-year fall of over a thousand and sits more than 11,000 below the 2020 figure of 39,460.

The UK average annual search volumes of various poker games, 2016 to 2025. Source: VIP-Grinders / Ahrefs

Aside from that 2020 peak, the first year of the covid pandemic, UK search volumes for Texas Hold’em have stayed fairly consistent, moving between 25,000 and 32,000 across the decade.

Omaha had the second highest UK average in 2025, with 25,093 monthly searches. That is a rise of over 9,000 year on year and the highest total the game has recorded in any year of the study.

Poker Player Rankings

The rankings below come from the Global Poker Index and are a single snapshot taken on 5 August 2026. Every table in this section uses that same date, so scores are directly comparable across regions.

As of 5 August 2026, US poker star William Alex Foxen is the highest-ranked poker player worldwide, according to the Global Poker Index (GPI). The GPI is widely regarded as the leading ranking system for live tournament poker, with rankings updated weekly based on players’ performances in qualifying live events over the previous 36 months.

Individual profiles for many of the players below are in our poker player database. Rather than measuring career earnings or lifetime achievements, the GPI rewards consistent recent performance. Players earn ranking points for cash finishes in qualifying tournaments, with each result weighted according to field size, buy-in, finishing position, and tournament recency. More recent performances receive greater weighting than older results, ensuring the rankings reflect current form rather than historic career success.

Who Are the Best Poker Players in the World?

William Alex Foxen tops the GPI poker rankings with an index score of 4,469.86. This was over 100 points more than any other player, making Foxen the only player with more than 4,400 points.

Austrian pro Daniel Rezaei was the second-highest-ranked player, with his score of 4,339.42 placing him narrowly ahead of Asian stars Punnat Punsri and Tony “Ren” Lin.

(Source: Global Poker Index. Rankings and scores correct as of 5 August 2026)

There is a diverse geographical split among the top 10 players, with four from Europe, three from North America, and three from Asia. The United States and China are the only countries with more than a single player in the top 10, with three and two players, respectively.

Top 10 Highest-Ranked Poker Players in the Americas

The top 10 poker players in the Americas are dominated by the US, which accounts for eight of the highest-ranked players. As well as global leader William Alex Foxen, the list includes world number six Jesse Lonis in second place and world number eight Brandon Wilson in third.

Every player in the Americas top 10 is ranked inside the world’s top 25, which underlines the region’s position as a poker superpower.

(Source: Global Poker Index. Rankings and scores correct as of 5 August 2026)

Kristen “Krissyb24” Foxen is the highest-ranked non-US player in the Americas and the highest-ranked female player globally. The Canadian pro’s index score of 3,872.09 places her fourth on the continent and 11th worldwide.

Top 10 Highest-Ranked Poker Players in Asia

Poker stats from the GPI show a diverse mix of nationalities among the top 10 Asian poker players, with players from six countries featured.

World number three Punnat Punsri leads the way with a score of 4,308.78, around 80 points ahead of Tony “Ren” Lin, who holds fourth spot in the GPI world poker rankings.

(Source: Global Poker Index. Rankings and scores correct as of 5 August 2026)

Third-placed Quan Zhou is the final player in the Asian top 10 to also feature in the world’s top 10, with the Chinese star’s index score of 4,100.95 the seventh highest worldwide.

China is responsible for five of the top 10 Asian players, making it the only nation with more than a single player in the top 10.

Top 10 Highest-Ranked Poker Players in Latin America

Brazilian player Alisson Miguel Piekazewicz is the highest-ranked poker player in Latin America, with his GPI score of 3,135.98 placing him over 130 points higher than compatriot Yuri Martins Dzivielevski in second.

Brazil is the most represented nation in the top 10 with four players, with Colombia the only other nation with more than a single player, at two.

(Source: Global Poker Index. Rankings and scores correct as of 5 August 2026)

Argentina’s José “Nacho” Ignacio Barbero was the highest-ranked non-Brazilian player, with his score of 2,997.96 placing him third.

No player in the Latin American top 10 features in the global top 50, with only three in the top 100.

Top 10 Highest-Ranked Poker Players in Europe

Austria features prominently in the top 10 players in Europe, with poker statistics showing that the nation is responsible for three of the continent’s highest-ranked players.

World number two Daniel Rezaei tops the list, followed by Russia’s Artur Martirosyan, Finland’s Eelis Pärssinen, and Latvia’s Aleksejs Ponakovs. All four feature in the GPI’s global top 10, highlighting Europe’s position as a major force in professional poker.

(Source: Global Poker Index. Rankings and scores correct as of 5 August 2026)

With less than a thousand points separating first and tenth place, Europe’s top 10 highlights the continent’s depth on a global scale, with seven players in the world’s top 20 and 10 in the top 30.

Top 10 Highest-Ranked Poker Players in the US

Analysis of poker stats outlines the prominence of the US in elite professional poker, with each of the nation’s top 10 featuring in the world’s top 30. World number one William Alex Foxen tops the list, with his total of 4,469.86 over 280 points more than any other US player.

(Source: Data from Global Poker Index’s rankings of the United States. Data correct as of 5 August 2026)

Jesse Lonis and Brandon Wilson are the only other players to exceed 4,000 GPI points. World number 17 David “Chino” Rheem takes fourth with 3,650.00, over 400 fewer than third-placed Wilson.

Top 10 Highest-Ranked Poker Players in the UK

Benny Glaser is the number one poker player in the UK, with his GPI score of 3,373.25 placing him 31st worldwide. Less than 100 points separate Glaser and Stephen Chidwick in second, with Chidwick the only other UK player inside the current world top 40.

(Source: Data from Global Poker Index’s rankings of the United Kingdom. Data correct as of 5 August 2026)

Only three UK players feature in the global top 100, with UK number three Richard Gryko ranking 73rd worldwide on a GPI score of 3,072.28. This made Gryko the final UK player with a GPI score exceeding 3,000.

Poker Earnings Statistics

Earnings data in this section comes from The Hendon Mob and is a snapshot taken on 25 August 2026, three weeks after the ranking snapshot above. The two measure different things, so the dates do not need to match.

Who Are the Highest-Earning Poker Players of All Time?

The latest poker stats from The Hendon Mob show that US star Bryn Kenney is the highest-earning poker player of all time, with recorded tournament winnings of over $90 million.

The Hendon Mob tracks results from live poker tournaments worldwide and ranks players by their combined earnings. Its figures exclude online poker, cash games, private games, and unreported winnings.

Kenney’s winnings were over $10 million more than any other player, making him the only player to date with earnings exceeding $80 million.

(Source: The Hendon Mob. Earnings correct as of 25 August 2026)

English professional Stephen Chidwick had the second highest total, with combined earnings of over $79 million, around $2 million more than third-placed Jason Koon. With tournament winnings exceeding $77 million, Koon was the final player to surpass the $70 million mark.

North America dominates the highest earners list, with six of the top 10 coming from the US and one from Canada.

Aside from Chidwick, the only other players outside North America were Belarusian Mikita Bodyakovsky and Spain’s Adrian Mateos, in fourth and fifth place.

Who Are the Highest-Earning Poker Players This Year?

As of 25 August 2026, Spanish pro Adrian Mateos has amassed the most tournament winnings of the year to date, with combined earnings of over $13 million.

This was over $2 million more than the next highest player, meaning Mateos has earned over 19% of his entire career earnings in the first eight months of 2026.

(Source: Data from The Hendon Mob’s 2026 Money List. Data correct as of 25 August 2026)

Bryn Kenney had the second highest earnings of 2026 to date, with a total of $10,725,715. As the highest-earning poker player of all time in terms of live tournament winnings, Kenney’s 2026 earnings account for over 11% of his career total.

The United States was the only country with more than one player in the top 10, with Brandon Wilson and Lucas Jumalon joining Kenney on the list. These standings shift throughout the year, and we cover the results driving them in our poker news hub.

Highest-Earning Female Poker Players of All Time

Recent poker statistics show that Kristen Foxen is the highest-earning female poker player of all time, with the Canadian pro exceeding $19.2 million in live tournament winnings. This was over $7 million more than Vanessa Selbst in second place, the only other player with earnings above $10 million.

As with the overall list, the top 10 women are dominated by North American players, with seven US professionals joining Foxen on the list, among them Kathy Liebert, Maria Ho and Annie Duke.

(Source: The Hendon Mob. Earnings correct as of 25 August 2026)

England’s Liv Boeree is the highest-earning female player outside North America, with earnings of $6,699,290, around half a million more than New Zealand’s Sosia Jiang.

The earnings of elite female players are more striking alongside recent women and gambling statistics, which found that women accounted for just 4% of major live tournament fields.

Highest-Earning US Poker Players of All Time

The US all-time poker earnings list features numerous players in the global all-time top 10. Each of the country’s top six earners also ranks among the global top 10 for live tournament winnings, highlighting the nation’s long-standing dominance of the professional poker circuit.

Bryn Kenney tops both the US and global money lists, with live tournament earnings of more than $90 million. He is followed by Jason Koon ($77,032,156), while Justin Bonomo and Isaac Haxton have each amassed more than $65 million in career tournament winnings.

(Source: The Hendon Mob. Earnings correct as of 25 August 2026)

The strength of American poker is further demonstrated by the depth of its all-time earners. Every player in the US top 10 has earned at least $47 million in live tournament winnings, with the rankings featuring Hall of Famers such as Phil Ivey and Erik Seidel.

Highest-Earning UK Poker Players of All Time

Poker statistics outline the dominance of Stephen Chidwick in UK poker. With live tournament earnings of over $79 million throughout his career, Chidwick has earned more than double the amount of any other UK player.

Though second-placed Ben Heath’s earnings were around $40 million less than Chidwick’s, his overall total of $38,932,383 was over $17 million more than third-placed Sam Trickett. This makes Heath the only other UK player to exceed $30 million in earnings and places him 25th on the global all-time list.

(Source: The Hendon Mob. Earnings correct as of 25 August 2026)

Sam Trickett ranked third among the UK’s highest-earning poker players of all time, followed by Talal Shakerchi. They were the only other British players to surpass $20 million in recorded live tournament winnings, while the remaining players in the top 10 had career earnings between $10 million and $16 million.

Which Poker Players Have the Most Cashes of All Time?

Canada’s Alan “Ari” Engel holds the distinction of having the most live tournament cashes of any poker player in history. With 680 cashes to date, Engel’s total was 67 higher than Taiwan’s Chiayun Wu, the only other player with more than 600 cashes.

(Source: Data from The Hendon Mob’s Number of Cashes All Time ranking. Data correct as of 25 August 2026)

The remainder of the top 10 all have between 500 and 600 cashes, ranging from John Anthony Cernuto (598) in third to Edward Chun Ho Yam (532) in tenth.

The US is the most represented nation in the top 10 with five players, followed by Taiwan with three.

What Are the Biggest Poker Cashes of All Time?

The largest single poker prize in history belongs to Bryn Kenney, who won $20.56 million after finishing runner-up in the 2019 Triton Million for Charity. Although Aaron Shu Nu Zang officially won the tournament, a prearranged deal between the final two players meant Kenney received the larger payout, giving him the biggest individual tournament cash ever recorded by The Hendon Mob.

Zang’s own cash from that same tournament ranks as the third highest of all time, at $16.78 million.

(Source: Data from The Hendon Mob’s Biggest Poker Cashes in Recorded Tournament History ranking)

The previous record had been held by Antonio Esfandiari, whose cash of roughly $18.35 million in The Big One for One Drop in 2012 still ranks as the second highest to date.

World Series of Poker Statistics

This section covers bracelet counts and Main Event records. For a full year-by-year list of champions since 1970, see our guide to every WSOP Main Event winner.

Which Player Has Won the Most World Series of Poker Bracelets?

Poker statistics show that Phil Hellmuth has won the most World Series of Poker bracelets of any player, with 17.

Hellmuth’s total was six higher than second-placed Phil Ivey, who has 11 to date. Ivey became the youngest player to win 10 bracelets in 2014, at the age of 38.

Alongside Hellmuth and Ivey, poker legends Erik Seidel, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan share third place, with each winning 10 bracelets. The top 10 highlights the strength of US players, with only the UK’s Benny Glaser (9) and Canada’s Daniel Negreanu (8) featuring from other nations.

World Series of Poker Main Event Records

Since its maiden tournament in 1970, the World Series of Poker Main Event has been widely considered poker’s most prestigious tournament. Only four players have won it more than once, with US legends Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar the only players to take the title three times.

(Source: ESPN)

*Johnny Moss’ first title in 1970 was awarded by player vote rather than through a freezeout tournament. The WSOP nevertheless officially recognizes him as a three-time Main Event champion.

Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan had the next highest number of Main Event wins, with both taking the WSOP showpiece event twice. This means that no player outside the US has won more than one WSOP Main Event.

There is a 45-year age difference between the youngest and oldest WSOP Main Event winners. US player Joe Cada holds the distinction of being the youngest, with his 2009 victory occurring at the age of 21 years and 11 months.

By contrast, three-time winner Johnny Moss is the oldest Main Event winner, with his 1974 victory occurring days before his 67th birthday.

Poker Country Statistics

This section is our own analysis of Global Poker Index rankings and Hendon Mob earnings, broken down by country and adjusted for population. Full methodology is set out at the end of the page.

Which Country Produces the Most Elite Poker Players?

The United States dominates the Global Poker Index, accounting for more elite tournament players than any other country. As of 15 July 2026, the US had 663 players in the GPI top 1,800, representing 36.8% of all ranked players and more than six times as many as second-placed China (100).

The findings are based on VIP-Grinders’ analysis of all players in the GPI top 1,800, with players grouped according to the nationality attributed to them within the Global Poker Index.

The nations with the most poker players in the GPI top 1,800. Source: VIP-Grinders / Global Poker Index

China ranked second for the number of players, followed by the United Kingdom (82) and Australia (73). While the US had by far the largest player base, several countries recorded stronger average GPI scores.

Germany had the highest average GPI score of the nations in the top 10, at 2,158, followed by China (2,056) and Russia (2,036).

Each of those countries has a much smaller group of ranked players than the US, indicating a concentrated group of elite tournament professionals rather than broad depth of talent.

Mark Patrickson, Head of Poker Content at VIP-Grinders, shared his insights on the professional poker circuit:

“The US figure is about access to events as much as population. A player based in the States can build a ranking on domestic circuits alone, from the WSOP and WPT down to regional series, without ever leaving the country. That volume of qualifying tournaments is what produces 663 ranked players. Germany and China post higher average scores from much smaller pools, which points to a different profile: fewer players, travelling to bigger events, and running deep when they get there.”

Who Are the Highest-Earning Poker Nations?

The US has the highest combined earnings of any nation from live poker tournaments. US players have amassed over $13 billion in recorded tournament winnings, over nine times more than any other country.

This means that the total US winnings are more than the other top 10 nations combined.

(Source: The Hendon Mob. Earnings correct as of 25 August 2026)

England had the second highest earnings with its total of $1.34 billion, over $100 million more than third-placed Canada. Canada and France were the only other nations with earnings exceeding $1 billion, with the remainder of the top 10 all recording totals below $900 million.

Europe was the best-represented continent, accounting for five of the top 10 and three of the top five.

Which Countries Have the Highest-Earning Poker Players Per Capita?

VIP-Grinders’ analysis compared live tournament winnings recorded by The Hendon Mob with population data for each country to determine which nations had the highest poker winnings per capita. We excluded nations with populations below 100,000 to prevent exceptionally small populations from disproportionately influencing the rankings.

When adjusted for population, Finland has the highest live tournament winnings per resident of any country, with players collectively earning the equivalent of $43.40 per resident. This made Finland the only nation with average tournament winnings exceeding $40 per resident.

Other Nordic countries perform strongly, with Norway and Denmark taking second and tenth spots on totals of $38.52 and $28.82.

The highest-earning poker nations per capita. Source: VIP-Grinders / The Hendon Mob

The rankings highlight the strength of smaller European countries relative to population, with eight of the top 10 based on the continent. The US and Canada were the only non-European nations to feature, finishing fifth and seventh.

Although US combined earnings were over 50 times more than any European country in the top 10, its high population meant its earnings per capita ($37.15) were lower than Finland, Norway, Estonia, and Ireland.

Mark Patrickson shared his thoughts on these earnings figures:

“Per capita winnings show something the raw earnings table hides. Finland, Norway and Estonia have no domestic tournament circuit of any real size, so almost every dollar in those totals was won abroad. That is a small group of players travelling to EPT, Triton and WSOP stops and cashing consistently once they get there. The US total is built on volume and proximity. The Nordic total is built on players who have to be good enough to justify the flight.”

Which Countries Have the Lowest-Earning Poker Players Per Capita?

India has the lowest live poker tournament winnings per capita of any country, with players generating $0.07 per resident despite recording more than $106 million in tournament earnings.

The lowest-earning poker nations per capita. Source: VIP-Grinders / The Hendon Mob

Indonesia, Ecuador, Algeria, and Bolivia complete the bottom five, each recording less than $0.20 in tournament winnings per resident.

Several of the world’s most populated countries also rank near the bottom of the list. Though China generated over $600 million in tournament winnings, its population of more than 1.4 billion limits its earnings per resident to just $0.46. Similarly, Mexico and Iran both feature in the bottom 10 despite producing tens of millions in live tournament winnings.

FAQs

Sources and Methodology

This page draws on data from ranking bodies, tournament databases, market research firms, and VIP-Grinders’ own independent analysis. The sections below explain the methodology behind our original research and list every source referenced on this page.

Search Demand Analysis

To determine which poker variants generated the greatest search demand, VIP-Grinders analyzed monthly search volume data from Ahrefs for a range of poker variants between 2016 and 2025.

For each variant, the monthly average search volumes recorded by Ahrefs were collected and used to calculate an annual average across the 12 months of each year. This allowed search demand for individual poker variants to be compared across different years and countries.

A selection of search terms was used for each variant, to account for the different ways people search for the same poker game. For Texas Hold’em, for example, we recorded and combined the average volumes for “Texas Holdem poker”, “Texas Hold em poker”, “Texas Hold’em poker”, “Holdem poker” and “Hold em poker”. The combined figure for those terms gives the overall search volume for that variant.

Searches were analyzed using poker-specific terms where needed, to reduce the impact of unrelated search intent. In particular, “Razz Poker” and “Omaha Poker” were used rather than “Razz” and “Omaha” to prevent non-poker searches from skewing the results.

Analysis of Elite Poker Players by Country

To determine which countries had the greatest representation among elite poker players, VIP-Grinders collected the GPI scores and attributed nationalities of all players ranked within the Global Poker Index top 1,800 on 15 July 2026. Players were grouped according to the nationality attributed to them within the Global Poker Index, with VIP-Grinders not independently assigning or reclassifying player nationalities.

The number of players attributed to each country was counted to determine each nation’s representation within the GPI top 1,800. Player GPI scores were also aggregated by country, with average and median scores calculated to compare the ranking strength of players from each nation.

As GPI rankings are updated regularly, the findings represent a snapshot of the rankings at the time the data was collected and are subject to change.

Analysis of Poker Earnings Per Capita

To determine which countries recorded the highest live poker tournament winnings per capita, VIP-Grinders collected country-level tournament earnings data from The Hendon Mob between 16 and 19 July 2026. That data was aggregated by country and compared with population figures for each nation, taken from Worldometer.

Each country’s combined recorded live tournament winnings were divided by its population to calculate tournament winnings per resident. Countries with populations below 100,000 were excluded from both the highest and lowest per capita rankings, to reduce the disproportionate effect that exceptionally small populations can have on per capita results.

Country classifications follow those attributed within The Hendon Mob database. The earnings figures cover recorded live tournament results, so they do not include online poker, cash games, private games, or unreported winnings.

Source List

Update Schedule

This page is part of the VIP-Grinders research programme. Key refresh triggers:

If you are a journalist, researcher, or analyst using data from this page, contact Mark Patrickson at VIP-Grinders for verification, additional context, or access to the underlying data references.