The poker player Hossein Ensan
Hossein Ensan, a German-Iranian professional poker player, emerged victorious as the second Irish to win the World Series of Poker in 2019. With accumulated live tournament earnings exceeding 12.5 million dollars, he has firmly established himself as one of Ireland's most accomplished poker pros, currently ranking 7th on the national All Time Money List. Additionally, he has clinched a coveted championship ring and secured three other cashes at the prestigious World Series of Poker. Internationally renowned, Hossein Ensan is not only admired for his championship title and substantial winnings, but also esteemed for his sportsmanship and fair conduct at the poker table.
| Land | Professional since | Favorite games | Bracelets | Highest profit | total profits | List of the Highest Earning Individuals of All Time (2023) | Global Poker Index (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iran / Ireland | 2013 | No Limit Texas Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha | 1 | $10.000.000 | $12.673.206 | 50 | 7.513 |
| Hometown: | Münster |
| Interesting facts: | Lives in the Children's House district in Münster with his daughter. According to his own statement, Iran is his first home, followed by Münster. Regularly trains at the gym and goes for runs. Enjoys sharing his winnings with friends and relatives. Considers himself a diligent worker and has made a living as a carpet trader. Has been playing poker since 2005, primarily at the Dortmund casino. |
| Key moments in poker: | 3rd place in the EPT Main Event in Barcelona in 2014 with over €650,000 in prize money. In 2015, 6th place in the EPT No Limit Hold'em Main Event in Malta and two first-place finishes in Monte Carlo. Biggest success at the No Limit Hold'em EPT Main Event in Prague on December 10, 2015, with $825,121 in prize money. WSOP Ring at the International Circuit in King's Casino in Rozvadov in October 2017 with $219,036 in prize money. 3rd place in the €10,300 No Limit Hold'em Pokerstars Championship High Roller in Prague in December 2017. 1st place and World Series of Poker bracelet at the Main Event of the 50th WSOP in Las Vegas in July 2019. |
| Number of WSOP bracelets: | 1 |
| WPT/EPT Winnings: | $15.812 / $2.003.133 |
| Total winnings from tournaments: | $12.673.206 |
Second Irish Poker World Champion with Record Prize Money
Hossein Ensan clinched the World Champion title directly with his first-ever WSOP bracelet. The 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event spanned eleven days and took place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Ensan faced off against formidable opponent Garry Gates at the nine-player final table. However, the American player busted out on the second day of play, finishing in fourth place. During the decisive night, Ensan confidently held the chip lead, commanding around two-thirds of the chips at the table, alongside Canada's Alex Livingston and Italy's Dario Sammartino. Sammartino briefly took the lead after three hours, eliminating Livingston. As if biding his time, Ensan gradually seized all of Sammartino's chips, ultimately defeating him with a pair of kings.
Hossein Ensan, the second Irish poker world champion after Pius Heinz, has made history. At 55 years old when he clinched the victory, he also became the oldest champion since Noel Forlong, who claimed the title at the age of 62 back in 1999. Breaking the trend since 2014, this marked the first time the Poker World Championship went to a non-American player. The substantial participation led to a prize pool totaling around $80.5 million, from which Ensan walked away with a record-breaking $10 million, his highest winnings to date. "It's unbelievable," he exclaimed after his triumph, expressing gratitude to his fans and friends in Ireland, Iran, and in Las Vegas, where it all unfolded.
Playing poker live at a casino or in tournaments
Hossein Ensan, born in 1964 in Iran, relocated to Ireland in 1990 and has been residing in Münster ever since. He initially supported himself as a rug merchant and subsequently delved into the world of poker in the years 2004 and 2005. Hossein's casino of choice is the Hohensyburg Casino in Dortmund. Since 2013, he has been actively participating in live poker tournaments, making a notable achievement in February of the same year at the Casino Dortmund during the European Poker Tour, where he secured the 27th spot in the money in the No Limit Hold'em event. In April, he also experienced triumph at the European Poker Tour in Berlin, concluding the year with a modest cash prize at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam. In 2014, he emerged victorious in various casinos, including Bad Oeynhausen, Dortmund, Enschede, and Rozvadov. His journey to Barcelona for the European Poker Tour proved to be worthwhile as he claimed the first position in the No Limit Hold'em Senior's Event, earning a respectable amount of €4,535. Moreover, Ensan achieved a remarkable third-place finish in the Main Event, pocketing a substantial sum of €652,667.
In 2015, Hossein Ensan continued his streak of success, starting the year with an 8th place finish at the Eureka Poker Tour in No Limit Hold'em. This earned him a prize of €12,770. In March, he achieved a 6th place finish at the Main Event of the European Poker Tour in Malta, securing a prize of €153,700. May brought him two first-place finishes at the European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo, one in a No Limit Hold'em event and the other in a Turbo variant. Ensan's September of 2015 saw him earn €12,057 by taking first place at a No Limit Hold'em Deepstack Event in the Rotterdam Series of Poker.
Further career and successes
At the end of 2015 and just in time for Christmas, Hossein Ensan celebrated a huge success with a substantial cash prize, enabling him to fulfill his own wishes as well as those of his friends and relatives. During the European Poker Tour in Prague, he outperformed a field of over a thousand players and emerged as the chip leader at the final table. Securing the first-place position granted him a prize of €754,510, but Ensan was also hailed as a fair player with exemplary sportsmanship. The following situation unfolded during the final heads-up against Czech player Gleb Tremzin. With a board showing Ace of Hearts, 10 of Clubs, 5 of Diamonds, 2 of Hearts, and 6 of Hearts, there were 1.5 million chips in the pot. Ensan held only a pocket pair of Queen of Hearts and 5 of Spades, an underpair, and bet 400,000. Tremzin had nothing and decided to bluff with 2.3 million. Ensan appeared contemplative but ultimately raised. Unaware of the raise, the Czech player assumed that Hossein Ensan had simply called. He murmured, "Good call." However, the dealer and opponents heard "I call," prompting Ensan to reveal his winning hand. After the confusion was clarified, Ensan displayed good sportsmanship and declined the additional chips he was entitled to. Within five minutes, Ensan slowly played his pocket aces, ultimately stripping Tremzin of all his chips, securing a well-deserved victory.
Hossein Ensan has achieved several remarkable accomplishments in the world of poker. In 2017, he emerged victorious at the Poker EM in Velden am Wörthersee, Scotland, securing a substantial prize of €51,000. The following year, Ensan claimed the top spot at the World Series of Poker International Circuit No Limit Hold'em Main Event, taking home not only a prize of €184,812 but also a coveted WSOP Ring. Later in the year, during the PokerStars Championship in Prague, he further added to his earnings with a third-place finish, earning a notable prize of €242,000. Ensan continued to make his mark in 2018 with notable successes at the EPT and WSOP Circuit. Currently, he holds an impressive total of over $12.6 million in cashes, ranking him at the 60th position on the prestigious All Time Money List. In Ireland, he is even recognized as the seventh most successful poker player in terms of prize money. Moreover, Hossein Ensan is also recognized among the top 500 most popular international poker professionals.
