Gary Benson is a professional poker player and sports bettor. He made his mark in Australian poker history in 1996 by becoming the first Australian in history to win an event (and gold bracelet) at the World Series of Poker. In January 2009 Gary was one of the inaugural inductees into the Australian Poker Hall of Fame.
Gary ... The Man
He was born in Sydney, Australia in 1957. He graduated from the University of Technology (Sydney) in 1983 with a Bachelor of Business and was admitted as a chartered accountant in 1985. Gary quickly ascended the ladder, becoming a partner at the well respected national accounting firm Grant Thornton in 1989. He held this position until 1995, at which time, he left the accounting profession to pursue a career in the world of sports betting and high stakes poker.
Gary is currently married with three daughters. Outside gambling, his hobbies include chess, genealogy and travel.
Gary ... The Player
Gary started playing poker when he was still at school, but his interest in card games generally was fostered at a young age by his grandmother. He attended his first real poker game in the late 1970s and has been a stalwart on the Australian poker scene ever since.
But Gary’s competitive instincts, his ability to read players and his prowess in out-maneuvering tough opponents are not only confined to poker. In 1970, at the tender of age of 13, Gary started playing competitive chess and joined the Correspondence Chess League of Australia (CCLA). In 2003, Gary became the Australian Champion after winning the Australian Correspondence Chess Championship. Following this, Gary was awarded the International Master title for Correspondence Chess in 2004 and earned the Senior International Master title the following year.
Gary ... At The Poker Table
Gary attended the first Australian Poker Championship held in Adelaide in 1987. Since then, he has played in virtually every major poker event in Australia and New Zealand.
Benson enjoys playing a variety of poker games including Omaha and Seven Card Stud. Online, Gary predominantly plays high limit Omaha Hi Lo. Gary can be found playing the biggest cash games in the room during tournament time at Crown Casino, Christchurch Casino and Canberra Casino.
In addition to his impressive cash game record, Gary also boasts an enviable tournament record. He was crowned the Australian Poker Champion in Adelaide in 1997 and Australian National Champion after winning in Canberra in 2000.
Gary made his first trip to Las Vegas in 1990 and entered his first World Series of Poker in 1996, during which, he became the first Australian-born winner of a gold bracelet. On April 24 1996, after a 15 hour battle, Benson conquered a field of 247 players to take home $148,200 USD and a prized gold bracelet. You can obtain further details of the final by clicking here.
In addition to this victory, Gary has also finished in the money several times at the WSOP, including three in-the-money finishes in the 2006 WSOP.
As of December 2006, Gary’s total live tournament winnings exceed $500,000.
|
