Allen Cunningham

Allen Cunningham Profile
	Nickname: Clever Piggy Full Tilt Name: Allen Cunningham Web: www.fulltiltpoker.com Birthdate: March 28th 1977 Birthplace: Riverside, California Residence: Ventura, California Tournaments Won: 20 WSOP Bracelets: 5 Total Winnings: $9,079,706

If anyone wanted any proof that poker is more than just a game of luck then they only have to look to Allen Cunningham. With twenty tournament wins and over one hundred cash finishes since he began playing legally in 1998, Cunningham is the consummate professional.

But luck deserted him in 2006 when he was playing in the coveted World Series of Poker Texas Hold’em main event. His final table play had been strong and earlier, with fingers on temples and a look of pure concentration, he had correctly read a bluff from Jamie Gold and had won a $5million hand with an ace high. However, with just four players left on the final table and with the betting at $1.1million, Cunningham went all in with 10♦ 10♠. Gold, with a far superior chip count, called with J♦ K♦. The odds were slightly in Cunningham’s favour, 57% to 43%, but he walked away from the table, hands stuffed into his pockets as a nervous smile flickered to his face. The importance of the hand was apparent to both men, with Gold lacking his usual cockiness. The flop of K♠ A♠ 8♥ was a disaster for Cunningham and no amount of lip-biting or mumbling ‘ten’ could stop the turn card being 7♠ and the river a 3♠. With a perfunctory handshake for his fellow players, Cunningham left the table and turned his head away when he passed the $12million first place prize fund as he made his way out of the hall. When asked how it felt to come fourth out of a record breaking 8,772 entrants, he replied, ‘feels pretty awful’, - Allen Cunningham has very high standards.  

Cunningham has always been looking to move his game forward but he has had to be patient, an ability that he carries over to his poker game. He was born in Riverside, California in 1977 and his relatives soon recognised, to their cost, his talent for cards in the kitchen table games he played at a young age. After high school he moved his game into local tribal casinos, slowly building up his bankroll while still living at home, studying and working as a pizza delivery boy. At 19, Allen abandoned his civil engineering degree at UCLA and began to play cards full-time but he had to wait two years before he could legally enter the non-tribal casinos where the real money was.

The first year started modestly with several final table finishes in small tournaments though he secured his first win in the National Championship of Poker at Inglewood in a pot limit tournament. In 1999, things began to take off when he was awarded the title of ‘best all-round player’ with six final table finishes including two wins in the Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino. The following year, despite the disappointment of having no tournaments wins, Cunningham managed five money finishes in the 31st WSOP but since 2001 he has been victorious in at least one tournament each year.

$ 3,628,513 ranks as his biggest cash prize for the fourth place finish in the 2006 WSOP but it is perhaps surprising that his impressive poker statistics have not given him a much higher profile within the game. The reason for this perhaps lies with his solid, analytical and calm approach to the game and he is not prone to flamboyant displays or emotional outbursts. It appears he is not seeking celebrity status having refused to have his truck ‘pimped’ for a TV show. Cunningham’s focus is firmly on his poker as his disappointment in not winning the 37th WSOP shows; it wasn’t about the money and he left the casino without speaking to the press or fans.

Allen’s pride in his game and controlled, quiet demeanour at the table has earned him much respect from his peers who recognize in him a player with great subtlety and guile. Poker has influenced Cunningham’s private life too as his girlfriend, Melissa Hayden, is also a part of the pro circuit but to help them take their mind off the game once in a while, they have their dog called Muffin.   

You can play online poker with Allen Cunningham at Full Tilt Poker.

Allen Cunningham WSOP Tournaments & Top Ten Finishes
	Event* Date Position Winnings NPL Vegas Open World Championship Dec 5th 2007 1st $325,105 38th Annual WSOP Event 45 – WSOP Short handed Jun 28th 2007 54th $8,212 38th Annual WSOP Event 33 – Pot limit Omaha Jun 20th 2007 18th $17,685 38th Annual WSOP Event 22 – WSOP Jun 13th 2007 54th $12,653 38th Annual WSOP Event 13 – WSOP Pot Limit World Championship Jun 8th 2007 1st $487,287 Mirage Poker Showdown/WPT Event Season 6 Super Satellite May 17th 2007 1st $10,000 37th Annual WSOP Event 39 – WSOP Championship Final Aug 10th 2006 4th $3,628,513 37th Annual WSOP Event 38 – WSOP Deuce to Seven Lowball Jul 25th 2006 6th $58,202 37th Annual WSOP Event 27 - WSOP Jul 18th 2006 128th $2,902 37th Annual WSOP Event 24 – WSOP Hi/Low Omaha Jul 15th 2006 18th $7,772 37th Annual WSOP Event 14 - WSOP Jul 8th 2006 1st $625,830 37th Annual WSOP Event 4 – WSOP Pot Limit Jun 29th 2006 98th $1,749 Caesar’s Las Vegas Poker Tournament WSOP Circuit Event Apr 29th 2006 1st $105,534 Bellagio Five Diamond WPT Classic Event 9 – Season 4 Dec 7th 2005 1st $283,085 World Poker Finals WPT Main Event Season 4 Nov 18th 2005 4th $483,000 Ultimate Poker Challenge Jul 22nd 2005 1st $21,140 36th Annual WSOP Event 32 – WSOP Limit Hi/Lo Omaha Jun 30th 2005 7th $42,110 36th Annual WSOP Event 31 - WSOP Jun 29th 2005 29th $8,490 36th Annual WSOP Event 27 – Pot Limit Omaha Jun 26th 2005 4th $141,215 36th Annual WSOP Event 20 – WSOP Pot Limit Jun 20th 2005 4th $89,865 36th Annual WSOP Event 2 - WSOP Jun 3rd 2005 1st $725,405 Rio Las Vegas Poker Tournament Event 8 – WSOP Circuit Mar 23rd 2005 15th $25,310 Rio Las Vegas Poker Tournament Event 6 – WSOP Circuit Mar 17th 2005 15th $4,215 Bellagio Weekly Tournaments Las Vegas Apr 29th 2005 1st $23,330 Harrah’s Atlantic Poker Tournament Event 7 – WSOP Circuit Jan 13th 2005 9th $7,500 Doyle Brunson N.American Poker Championship Festo el Lago III – WPT Event Season 3 Oct 15th 2004 6th $13,978 Doyle Brunson N.American Poker Championship Festo el Lago III – WPT Event Season 3 Oct 11th 2004 4th $16,512 Legends of Poker WPT Season 3 Event 13 – Limit 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Aug 9th 2004 4th $3,840 Mirage Poker Showdown WPT Season 3 Aug 1st 2004 8th $54,004 Larry Flynt’s Grand Slam of Poker III Main Event Jul 18th 2004 3rd $37,050 Festa el Lago II Main Event Jul 5th 2004 7th $43,255 Festa al Lago II Jun 30th 2004 2nd $74,925 California State Poker Championship Event 19 Jun 15th 2004 7th $7,875 Five Star World Poker Classic Event 8 – WPT Season 2 Apr 10th 2004 1st $111,494 Five Star World Poker Classic Event 6 – WPT Season 2 Pot Limit Omaha Apr 7th 2004 6th $8,730 2003 Five Diamond WPT Season 2 Dec 8th 2003 2nd $131,575 World Poker Finals WPT Season 2 Limit 7 Card Stud Nov 11th 2003 4th $13,260 2003 United States Poker Championship Sep 13th 2003 1st $63,180 34th Annual WSOP Event 14 – WSOP No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball Apr 28th 2003 2nd $82,040 34th Annual WSOP Event 9 – WSOP Limit H.O.R.S.E. Apr 23rd 2003 10th $3,160 L.A. Poker Classic WPT Season 1 Event 21 – Pot Limit Hold’em Feb 19th 2003 5th $6,600 Euro Finals of Poker WPT Season 1 WPT Main Event Feb 15th 2003 3rd $104,850 Grand Slam of Poker Tournament Event 7 – Limit Hold’em Jul 26th 2002 4th $10,030 33rd Annual WSOP Event 32 – WSOP No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball May 18th 2002 1st $160,200 33rd Annual WSOP Event 24 – WSOP Limit Hold’em May 11th 2002 7th $13,280 33rd Annual WSOP Event 15 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha May 2nd 2002 9th $9,440 33rd Annual WSOP Event 7 – WSOP Limit 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Apr 27th 2002 13th $2,940 33rd Annual WSOP Event 2 – WSOP Limit Hold’em Apr 20th 2002 31st $4,580 LA Poker Classic Event 14 – Pot Limit Omaha Feb 14th 2002 6th $3,600 3rd Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open Event 16 – WPO Limit Hold’em Jan 20th 2002 5th $10,030 World Poker Finals Nov 17th 2001 4th $33,600 National Championship of Poker Sep 29th 2001 9th $970 The Four Queens Poker Classic Event 18 – Main Event Sep 23rd 2001 2nd $83,662 Legends of Poker Limit 7 Card Hi/Lo Aug 19th 2001 5th $4,140 Legends of Poker Limit 7 Card Hi/Lo Aug 15th 2001 1st $23,400 California State Championship Event 9 – Limit 7 Card Stud Jun 16th 2001 2nd $10,000 32nd Annual WSOP Event 27 – WSOP World Championship May 18th 2001 27th $37,960 32nd Annual WSOP Event 21 – WSOP Limit 7 Card Stud May 9th 2001 1st $201,760 32nd Annual WSOP Event 6 – WSOP Limit Omaha Apr 25th 2001 8th $4,190 32nd Annual WSOP Event 3 – WSOP Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Apr 22nd 2001 9th $7,130 Jack Binion’s World Poker Open WPO Main Event Apr 13th 2001 7th $17,703 Jack Binion’s World Poker Open Event 10 - WPO Apr 5th 2001 5th $9,341 Winning ‘O’ the Green Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Mar 12th 2001 7th $700 LA Poker Classic Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball Feb 15th 2001 5th $2,525 LA Poker Classic Limit 7 Card Stud Feb 14th 2001 4th $3,465 LA Poker Classic Pot Limit Hold’em Feb 13th 2001 1st $31,265 LA Poker Classic Limit 7 Card Stud Feb 3rd 2001 3rd $5,880 World Poker Finals Event 14 – Pot Limit Omaha Nov 15th 2000 2nd $9,750 National Championships of Poker Shootout Sep 21st 2000 5th $1,285 4 on the Floor Sep 4th 2000 8th $165 Legends of Poker Aug 26th 2000 8th $1,150 Legends of Poker Event 21 – Limit Aug 22nd 2000 2nd $14,720 Legends of Poker Event 13 – Limit Omaha Hold’em Aug 14th 2000 3rd $5,555 Legends of Poker Event 11 Aug 12th 2000 2nd $14,725 Global Pot Limit No Limit Open Pot Limit Hold’em & Omaha Jul 31st 2000 3rd $3,075 California State Poker Classic Event 12 – limit Omaha Hi/Lo Jun 20th 2000 8th $1,431 31st Annual WSOP Event 21 – WSOP Limit Omaha Hi/Lo May 13th 2000 2nd $113,850 31st Annual WSOP Event 19 – WSOP Limit 7 Card Stud May 11th 2000 15th $5,050 31st Annual WSOP Event 14 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha May 6th 2000 10th $5,850 31st Annual WSOP Event 10 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold’em May 3rd 2000 13th $4,700 31st Annual WSOP Event 3 – WSOP Limit 7 Card Stud Apr 26th 2000 17th $2,205 Sport of Kings Tournament Mar 25th 2000 7th $1,270 L.A. Poker Classic Pot Limit Omaha Feb 14th 2000 9th $720 Carnival of Poker Limit 7 Card Stud Jan 12th 2000 6th $5,020 United States Poker Championship 7 Card Stud Dec 2nd 1999 1st $22,800 Legends of Poker Championship Event Aug 29th 1999 7th $6,050 Legends of Poker Aug 26th 1999 1st $40,800 Legends of Poker Omaha Hi/Lo Aug 24th 1999 4th $4,690 Legends of Poker Chinese Poker Aug 19th 1999 4th $1,180 Legends of Poker Limit Hold’em Aug 13th 1999 7th $1,935 Legends of Poker 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Aug 8th 1999 1st $18,840 Sport of Kings Limit Hold’em May 23rd 1999 1st $17,850 30th Annual WSOP Event 9 – WSOP Omaha 8 or Better May 4th 1999 15th $5,115 National Championships of Poker Limit Hold’em Sep 27th 1998 1st $31,125 29th Annual WSOP Event 9 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold’em Apr 29th 1998 25th $2,748

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