7 Poker Pros You May Have Forgotten About

Image of Qui Nguyen, courtesy of PokerGo.com

As the world of poker continues to captivate a wider audience, we witness the ebb and flow of its stars. New talents emerge while other once glorious names fade into obscurity, their stories becoming a part of poker's rich history. Many poker fans may have heard of Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel and Bryn Kenney, and likely always will. Even Phil Hellmuth is a recognisable name, both for his poker ability and his outbursts, but plenty of others had their time in the spotlight and have since disappeared. 

These forgotten pros might still play poker or even be around major tournaments, but they just don't have the same level of recognition. Many are former champions who decided to take their vast prizes and live a quieter life away from the glitz and glamour. All were big names once but are not really talked about anymore. Here are some poker pros you might have forgotten about.

1. Peter Eastgate

Best known as the winner of the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, Peter Eastgate was once a star on the rise and very well known in the poker world. Over a relatively short career, Eastgate managed to get decent results at major poker tournaments like the WSOP and the European Poker Tour. 

However, after a whirlwind rise, he decided to step away from the game indefinitely. According to a media statement he released at the time, poker was only a temporary measure to achieve financial independence, a goal he absolutely hit with over $11 million in poker prize winnings. He has made a few one-off appearances in poker tournaments since his early retirement, but for the most part, Peter Eastgate hasn't returned to the professional poker scene in many years.

2. Scott Montgomery

A member of the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) November Nine, Scott Montgomery reached his peak level of fame around this time. He ultimately finished in fifth place during his Main Event appearance, after being eliminated by eventual champion Peter Eastgate. 

At the time, Montgomery’s inclusion in the WSOP Main Event and elimination by Eastgate meant his name was known throughout the poker world. He has since fallen into relative obscurity. Montgomery won a WSOP bracelet in 2010 and played consistently until about 2019. Since then, he has only made one appearance at a 2023 WSOP Event. As of 2024, it's unclear if he still plays poker professionally or has decided to muck his cards forever. 

3. Max Steinberg

At one point Max Steinberg went on a tear that saw him post consistent results at a string of tournaments that included winning a bracelet at the 2012 World Series of Poker (WSOP) and coming in fourth place at the 2015 WSOP Main Event. His success, coupled with his identical twin brother Daniel Steinberg, brought him a bit of attention at the time. However, his days in the spotlight are long gone. Steinberg has only played a few times in the last few years and hasn't posted noteworthy results in a very long time. 

4. Pius Heinz

Another Main Event winner who disappeared from the poker world a few years ago, Pius Heinz is best remembered for winning the 2011 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. After taking the title, he played poker professionally until 2019, cashing at least another 12 times in various tournaments before disappearing from the poker scene. 

Prior to his success at the WSOP, Heinz made a name for himself playing online. What he is doing now isn't clear, but he has spoken to the media about losing interest in the game and preferring to live a quiet life with the occasional game of poker whenever he feels the urge. Before his self-imposed exile from the spotlight, Heinz had racked up over $9 million in poker prizes, with the lion’s share coming from the 2011 WSOP Main Event.

5. Qui Nguyen

Yet another Main Event winner who has since shunned the spotlight, Qui Nguyen made a name for himself at the 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Coming in at the second chip position as part of the November Nine, he eventually won the tournament, forever etching his name into the history books. 
Nguyen gained particular attention at the time because, like Chris Moneymaker, he won entry into the WSOP through a satellite. His autobiography, From Vietnam to Vegas! How I Won the World Series of Poker Main Event, also revealed a quirky tale of how Steve Blay, the co-author of the book and software engineer, created bots simulating each of the November Nine's playing styles and predicted Nguyen would win. 

Following his WSOP Main Event win, Nguyen consistently played professional poker until about 2022. He had one cash in a tournament during 2023. It's unclear if Nguyen is still playing poker professionally or followed some of his peers into a quiet retirement. 

6. Annette Obrestad

Remembered as a teenager who crushed the online poker scene and won millions, Annette Obrestad has long since faded away from the poker scene. During her relatively short career, she became the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet after winning the inaugural WSOP Europe Main Event in 2007, just before her 19th birthday. 

Obrestad also made waves after claiming that in 2007, she won a 180-person online sit and go tourney without looking at her cards. She has since given up playing poker professionally, or at least her last win in a live tournament was back in 2018. After taking the poker scene by storm, she has apparently walked away. Obrestad now operates a YouTube channel called Annette's Makeup Corner, posting makeup tutorials and reviews. 

7. Jonathan Duhamel

A common theme among World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event winners, Jonathan Duhamel has disappeared from the poker scene. He hasn’t played professionally since around 2018. During his heyday, he won the 2010 WSOP Main Event, and made multiple final table appearances in various events. Duhamel was a very familiar sight at the poker tables, but he has since backed away from it all, and told media outlets he only plays for fun now. He was a big name in poker once but is not really talked about anymore.