Poker is one of the highest profile gambling games on the planet. Whether it is live poker or online poker, players from around the world come together to play this game for fun, entertainment and money in regular cash games and huge online poker tournaments.
Millions of individuals play poker versions such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, which are also available online.
The best part is people play poker online know precisely it is the same way online as they do in person.
Because of the popularity of poker and the tournaments, the question naturally arises, which countries are the best at poker?
In this article, we take a look at some top countries who play poker online and as well as live.
United States of America (home of a lot of world poker tour tournament winners)
The United States of America is rightfully at the top of the list because it is the most popular poker country. Several of the top poker players are from the United States. The country boasts a vast total of 460 casinos globally, which means that a large number of individuals visit and play poker each year.
Internet poker is very popular, as seen by the 100,000+ searches for it on the internet. The presence of places like Las Vegas which is a legendary spot for poker world wide ensures the popularity for live tournaments as well.
In the all time money list which is on The Hendon Mob, America has six poker players in the top 10 alone. That group features Bryn Kenney, who leads the list outright, along with Jason Koon, Justin Bonomo, Isaac Haxton, Dan Smith and Alex Foxen, with Phil Ivey just outside the top 10 and so many other hall of famers or hall of fame worthy players behind them.
Canada
Most people identify Canada with maple syrup, hockey, and beer. Yet, many people are unaware that America’s neighbor is also a big poker fan.
Unlike in some other nations, playing poker is allowed in both online and physical poker rooms in Canada.
Furthermore, shows like Pokerstars and World Series Tournament have been featured in the media for years, which has only added to the game’s appeal.
Everyone who has played poker or is interested in poker will know who Daniel Negreanu is.
He is the leader for Canada on the all time money list and ninth overall on the all time money list with over $60 million to his name. He has won several live poker tournaments in his career and is one of the greatest of all time.
Sam Greenwood, Timothy Adams, Daniel Dvoress and the legendary Jonathan Duhamel also represent Canada as top poker players.
Malaysia
The popularity of poker in Malaysia is mostly due to foreigners’ influence, although citizens who found it in Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines, where Texas Hold’em and Omaha are prevalent, have also contributed to its expansion.
The country is separated into a faction of muslims who do not play poker and non muslims who do very often.
The most popular poker player from the country is Paul Phua who has amassed over $38 million in winnings. Richard Yong, Seng Yee Leow, Wai Leong Chan and Wai Kin Yong are some other famous Malaysian names in poker.
France
According to a belief, poker evolved from the French card game “poque”. In the early nineteenth century, French immigrants carried the game to New France, the French province in North America.
It then migrated to the United States, where it evolved into the game of poker. As a result, some individuals assume that the French invented poker.
Forefathers of poker or not, France is a great place to go play poker with several amazing casinos and it is a nation where poker players have competed in tournaments for several years.
Bertrand Grospellier leads the all time money rankings with Benjamin Pollak, Jean-Noel Thorel and Rui Cao part of their top earners in the country’s history.
Germany (online poker is regulated though)
Germany has a large number of poker professionals. Several players have recently achieved success. Online poker has been legal there since July 2021 under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (Glucksspielstaatsvertrag 2021), but it is tightly restricted: licensed sites cap players at four tables at a time and a EUR 1,000 monthly deposit limit applies across all operators, so plenty of German grinders still head to casinos and live poker tables.
Nobody waves the flag of poker in Germany higher than Fedor Holz. Ranked 14th on the all time money list, Holz has made over $50 million in his illustrious career and is one of the greatest Poker players of all time already.
Christoph Vogelsang, Rainer Kempe, Koray Aldemir and Dominik Nitsc are other big names in German Poker.
United Kingdom
From its rise to fame in the late 1990s with shows like late night poker, to the 2013 tournament record which was set by Pokerstars, the game has continued to grow more and more in the UK and does not look like slowing down anytime soon.
The man who stands atop this list for the United Kingdom is Stephen Chidwick. The Englishman has won over $79 million playing poker and is second on the all time money list. Chidwick is the greatest poker player in Europe and one of the greatest poker players ever.
Sam Trickett, Ben Heath, Sam Grafton and Charlie Carrel are other great poker players from the UK.
Spain
In Spain, betting is like tradition and since they became a part of the liquidity deal in 2017, the popularity of poker in the whole country has grown leaps and bounds.
Online gambling, sports betting and the likes are a key part of the economy and Spain’s casinos have been host to great poker competitions in the past. Speaking of casinos, there are a total of 43 poker rooms operating in the country.
Adrian Mateos is the top poker gambler in the country with over $67 million in winnings to his name. He has won several gold WSOP bracelets and is now fifth on the all time money list.
Italy
Music fans may remember the name of this city in Italy: San Remo. For years, people have flocked to this coastal city in Italy, where they can enjoy the seashore, amazing architecture, and delightful music all in one location.
Many people are unaware that there are several casinos in the country where poker players may spend their holiday.
Texas Hold’em, which is played with 52 cards, is a popular poker game in most European casinos as well as in Italy.
There are major tournaments that need at least 10 people to compete, but there are also smaller games for individuals who want a more intimate setting.
Whichever group you belong to, you will have a good time at one of San Remo’s casinos.
Dario Sammartino, who is the all time money list leader for the country with over $15 million to his name is arguably their most popular poker player.
Mustapha Kanit, Max Pescatori and Gianluca Speranza are other very successful poker players.
Brazil
It is not football but the Poker game is very popular in Brazil.
If you log in to any major online poker club, particularly PokerStars, and you’ll notice a slew of Brazilian players competing at all levels, both in tournaments and at cash tables.
This is due in part to the country’s large population – over 200 million people presently live in Brazil.
It is also because, while gambling is outlawed in the nation, both the law and the general public see poker as a game of skill.
That is a welcome development in comparison to other countries, including the bulk of Europe.
Brazil has previously hosted a number of notable live poker tournament series, including the WSOP Circuit Brasil, partypoker MILLIONS South America, and the Latin American Poker Tour.
Joao Simao is currently Brazil’s number one poker player on their all time money list with over $20 million to his name, with Yuri Martins Dzivielevski second on close to $15 million. Alexandre Gomes, Andre Akkari, Felipe Tavares Ramos and Philipe Pizzari Pinto are other great Brazilian Poker Players
India
With the advent of internet poker a few decades ago, this game has become so popular that it has taken on a life of its own.
India has been one of the most important rising markets in recent years, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, many of whom are avid computer and smartphone users.
Numerous well-known poker platforms and online casino companies made their services available to Indian gamers.
For years the Indian poker business grew at a pace of more than 30% each year.
The COVID-19 epidemic accelerated that trend, with millions of Indian players joining the action around 2019 and 2020. The picture has since changed sharply: the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 banned every form of real-money online gaming in India, and its rules came into force on 1 May 2026, leaving free-to-play poker and licensed live casino poker in a handful of states as the only legal options. India still produces plenty of talent, but its players now do their real-money grinding abroad – we cover the detail in our guide to whether online poker is legal in India.
Vivek Rajkumar has the highest rank for India in the all time poker money list with over $8 million to his name.
Nipun Java, Aditya Agarwal, Abhinav Iyer and Ankit Ahuja are other big Indian names in Poker.