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Ryan Riess walked into the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event without a sponsor patch on his chest. He had turned down real money to keep his head clear and walked out as world champion with $8,361,570. That decision, and what happened to those earnings over the years that followed, says a lot about how his finances actually work.
Riess is an American professional poker player who won the 2013 WSOP Main Event and later added a World Poker Tour title.
His personal financial details have not been publicly disclosed. Any net worth figure attached to his name is an estimate based on publicly available information.
Who Is Ryan Riess?
Ryan Riess was born in 1990 in East Lansing, Michigan, and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Hospitality Business.
His poker career started in October 2012 when he entered the WSOP Circuit Main Event in Hammond, Indiana, on a whim. The entire buy-in came from the last money in his bankroll. He finished second and won $239,063, which funded his move to full-time poker tournaments.
Six months later, he entered his first WSOP Main Event and won it, becoming the first champion born in the 1990s. What followed was not a smooth ride. 2014 was his worst year as a professional, with less than $60,000 in recorded cashes.
He later explained that this was a consequence of overthinking his game against opponents who targeted him. The rebuild was methodical: online GTO poker work that led to a gradual re-entry into high-roller events.
He eventually returned to the winner's circle at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale in April 2017 for $716,088. He’s one of a select group of players to hold both a WSOP Main Event title and a WPT poker tour title.
Riess came close to completing the Triple Crown twice: fourth in the 2018 WSOP Europe Main Event and fourth again at the 2019 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event. He remains active, recording 363 live cashes through January 2026.
Ryan Riess Net Worth (Estimated)
Ryan Riess's net worth is estimated to be between $3 million and $6 million. The gap between that figure and his database total is primarily explained by staking obligations and taxes on his 2013 prize. No verified personal financial figure has been made public.
In a 2014 CNBC interview, Riess stated that his $8.3 million Main Event prize was reduced to approximately $2 million after taxes and staking obligations. He had sold pieces to family and friends before the tournament and retained just over 50% of himself, with tax withholding applied to the remainder.
Factor in 363 live tournament entries at varying buy-in levels and types of poker games over twelve years: Include regular travel costs, and the absence of any confirmed commercial income, and the resulting estimate sits well below what a casual reading might suggest.
Tournament Winnings Breakdown
According to the Hendon Mob, Ryan Riess has recorded $16,941,806 in live tournament earnings across 363 cashes, placing him 90th on the all-time money list.
His WSOP earnings alone exceed $11.5 million from 247 recorded cashes.
- WSOP Main Event, 2013 – $8,361,570 (1st place)
- WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale, 2017 – $716,088 (1st place)
- S. Poker Open $50K NLH, 2019 – $492,000 (2nd place)
- EPT Barcelona €50K NLH, 2018 – €344,700 (4th place)
- WSOP Europe Main Event, 2018 – €337,778 (4th place)
The 2013 result accounts for roughly 49% of his career total. It’s also, by his own account, the cash where he retained the smallest proportion.
- What enters a poker database is a competitive record.
- What a player takes home from each result is shaped by staking arrangements, applicable taxes, and buy-in costs that no public source tracks.
Other Income: Sponsorships, Backing, and Professional Deals
Ryan Riess has no confirmed commercial sponsorship on record, and the reason is documented. At the 2013 final table, he declined all sponsorship offers from major operators.
He later explained that the obligations attached (interviews, social media and scheduled commitments) would have been a distraction. Whether a deal followed in subsequent years is not publicly confirmed.
He has appeared in 888poker content, including a 2025 interview segment, but no ambassador role or financial arrangement has been announced.
His documented supplementary income is from online poker. Riess has accumulated over $2.1 million in recorded online earnings and has cited $10,000 buy-in events as his preferred level. No coaching platform or non-poker commercial endorsement has been publicly associated with his name.
No professional activity or income from outside the poker world has been confirmed. Riess holds a Hospitality Business degree from Michigan State but has not been publicly linked to any employment or business venture outside of poker.
Public Profile, Lifestyle, and Privacy
Riess is candid about his career. After winning in 2013, he told ESPN on live television that he thought he was the best poker player in the world. This claim, made at 23, six months out of college, drew widespread attention.
In subsequent interviews, he has acknowledged it was naive. On money, he’s less forthcoming. The 2014 CNBC appearance remains the only instance in which he has discussed financial figures with any specificity.
He lives in Las Vegas with his wife and three daughters and has said that, since around 2019, family time has taken priority over tournament volume. The financial details of that life remain his own.
The main event champ! Bowls a 300! Enjoy the video. That’s $5,000 I’ll never see again!💸💸💸 @RyanRiess1 pic.twitter.com/KFxzTK6ItB
— Jesse Lonis (@JesseLonis) February 24, 2026
FAQ – Ryan Riess Net Worth
Is Ryan Riess a millionaire?
Yes. His career record and sustained professional activity over twelve years support the conclusion that he has accumulated significant wealth. The precise figure is not public, but the evidence points clearly to retained earnings of at least seven figures.
What is Ryan Riess best known for in poker?
Riess is best known for winning the 2013 WSOP Main Event for $8,361,570, becoming the first champion born in the 1990s. He is also one of a select group of players to hold both a WSOP Main Event title and a WPT main tour title, having won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale in 2017.
Do tournament winnings equal net worth?
No. Riess addressed this on CNBC in 2014, stating the $8.3 million prize was reduced to roughly $2 million after staking and taxes. The database figure is a gross number. What a player retains depends on their staking split, tax rates, career buy-in costs, and living expenses, none of which appear in any public record.
Does Ryan Riess earn income outside of poker?
No income from outside the poker world has been publicly confirmed. Riess holds a degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University, but there’s no documented evidence that he has worked in that field professionally. His supplementary income appears to come from online poker, where his recorded earnings exceed $2.1 million.
Why are net worth estimates for poker champions often ranges?
Because gross prize money is an incomplete starting point. In Riess's case, the largest single figure in his database ($8.36 million) came with a staking arrangement that directed roughly half to backers before taxes were applied. Any estimate built on the database total overstates what he actually received.
