Tony G
Tony G was born on December 17, 1973 in Kaunas, Lithuania, and moved to Melbourne, Australia at the age of 11. From an early age, he displayed exceptional intelligence. In Lithuania, he played chess at a school for gifted players and won the country's Cube Championship. After relocating to Australia, he initially immersed himself in basketball with great enthusiasm. However, at the age of 15, he started playing high stakes poker. There is a well-known story that Tony had already won $200,000 in his late teens. Brimming with confidence, he then decided to venture to Las Vegas, where he experienced a devastating loss, serving as a wake-up call. It was at that point that he made the resolute decision to fully commit himself to becoming a world-class poker player.
Tony is known as a confrontational player who taunts and mocks others at the poker table, earning him the nicknames "The Mouth from Down Under" and "The Australian Airbag." His catchphrase, often directed at opponents he's currently playing against, is "On your bike!" However, outside of the poker table, he is regarded as friendly and well-balanced.
Prize money
Tony G., a renowned poker player, has amassed an impressive sum of over $4,000,000 in winnings from live tournaments. His exceptional skills and strategic prowess have led him to triumph in 18 World Poker Tour events, earning him a total of five cashes and placing him among the top contenders in two final tables. Throughout his journey, Tony has claimed a substantial amount of $535,581, securing him a respectable position at 231st in the overall rankings. In addition to his achievements on the World Poker Tour, Tony has actively participated in 16 World Series of Poker tournaments, where he has managed to seize victory an astounding 16 times, accumulating a remarkable $657,962 in winnings. Despite his remarkable success, Tony continues his relentless pursuit of the elusive WSOP bracelet, which has thus far eluded him.
| Land | Professional since | Favorite games | Bracelets | Highest profit | total profits | Top Money Earners of All Time (2023) | Global Poker Index (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithuania | 2002 | Texas Hold'em, Omaha | 0 | 3.628.513 $ | 5.533.302 $ | 158 | - |
| Hometown: | Melbourne, Australia |
| Interesting facts: | Renowned philanthropist; as a child, winner of the Cube Championship of the Republic of Lithuania; esteemed entrepreneur and statesman. |
| Key moments in poker: | Ranked 5th at WPT in 2003; emerged victorious in the Main Event at the 2005 EPT No Limit Hold'em Tournament; claimed the title of Bad Boys of Poker winner in 2006; finished as the runner-up in the Intercontinental Poker Championship in 2006. |
| Number of WSOP bracelets: | No |
| WPT/EPT Winnings: | No |
| Total tournament winnings: | $4.826.338 |
social commitment
Despite his tendency to act almost ruthlessly at the poker table, Tony has earned a reputation as a true philanthropist. As the champion of the Asian Poker Tour in Singapore back in 2006, he made a firm decision to donate half of his total winnings amounting to $451,700 to charitable organizations across Asia and Australia. Following his victory in a tournament held in Moscow in November 2006, he decided to entrust the tournament management with his total prize of $205,000, with the condition that the money be given to Russian orphanages. In January 2008, Tony was honored with the prestigious Shining World Leadership Award in Melbourne.
economy and politics
Through his tournament wins alone, he didn't make it to the top of the list. This is because the most significant source of his poker-related income comes from online games. Additionally, he is the owner of several poker information websites, such as Pokernews.com, Pokeraffiliateworld.com, and Pokerworks.com. He is a consummate businessman. In his blog, he is quoted as saying, "I work on a variety of projects and try to bring new ideas to life to see what works and what doesn't. And constantly reevaluating what I've achieved and where I'm going." He continues to advocate for making poker more well-known and popular in many different regions of the world, including his homeland, Lithuania. He is in the process of establishing the company Poker News Consultation in Estonia, which aims to support gaming companies in the region and operate a profitable business in the country. Currently, Tony is a candidate for the Rob Gardner Memorial Award 2010 for Poker Personality, competing against Jesse May and Anthony Holden.
After several years of active involvement in the political arena in his native Lithuania, he achieved a significant milestone in 2013 by securing a seat in the European Parliament. Throughout his tenure, he played a vital role as a member of the European People's Party until 2016, while also serving as a valued participant in numerous commissions and political organizations.
