David Oppenheim: Poker Hall of Famer and High-Stakes Mixed-Game Specialist
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2019
David Oppenheim built his reputation in a part of poker that tournament databases only partly capture. The American professional became known as a high-stakes cash-game and mixed-game specialist, competing against elite opposition for decades before his career was formally recognized with induction into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2019.
Oppenheim has never won a World Series of Poker bracelet, but his tournament résumé includes repeated deep runs in some of the WSOP’s most demanding mixed-game events. His largest recorded live tournament score came with a third-place finish in the 2010 $50,000 Poker Players Championship for $603,348.
As of September 1, 2026, Hendon Mob lists Oppenheim with $2,057,053 in live tournament earnings. The WSOP separately lists 61 cashes, nine final tables, no bracelets, no Circuit rings and $1,637,835 in WSOP earnings. Those figures help document his tournament career, but Oppenheim’s Hall of Fame case was built substantially on his long-term success in high-stakes cash games and his proficiency across multiple poker variants.
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Who Is David Oppenheim?
David Oppenheim is an American professional poker player and a member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Hendon Mob currently lists his residence as Woodland Hills, California.
PokerNews reports that Oppenheim began playing during his second year of college, when he was 19. What began as an interest in the game developed into a professional career centered largely on high-stakes cash poker.
That distinction is important when evaluating Oppenheim’s place in poker history. Many prominent players build their public reputations through bracelet victories and major televised tournament championships. Oppenheim instead became particularly respected for sustained success against strong competition in high-stakes cash and mixed games.
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David Oppenheim’s High-Stakes Cash-Game Career
Oppenheim’s strongest professional reputation has long been associated with cash games rather than tournament titles.
When the World Series of Poker announced his Poker Hall of Fame induction in 2019, it described him as a Los Angeles cash-game professional with roughly a quarter-century of experience and proficiency across the mixed games. PokerNews also identified him as a regular winner in the high-stakes games historically played in Bobby’s Room at Bellagio.
Mixed-game success requires players to adjust between substantially different forms of poker rather than relying on expertise in a single variant. Oppenheim’s reputation for competing successfully across those games became one of the defining features of his career.
His longevity also mattered. The Poker Hall of Fame considers whether players have competed against acknowledged top opposition, played for high stakes, earned the respect of their peers and stood the test of time. Oppenheim’s career fit those criteria even without the major tournament trophy collection associated with many other inductees.
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David Oppenheim’s Poker Hall of Fame Induction
Oppenheim entered the Poker Hall of Fame in 2019 alongside Chris Moneymaker.
The two players reached the Hall through very different career paths. Moneymaker became one of poker’s most recognizable tournament champions after winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Oppenheim’s reputation developed much more quietly through years of high-stakes cash play and mixed-game competition.
The WSOP announced Oppenheim and Moneymaker as the 57th and 58th members of the Poker Hall of Fame on July 15, 2019. Voting was conducted by living Hall of Fame members and a poker-industry media panel.
For Oppenheim, the induction represented recognition of accomplishments that ordinary tournament statistics could not fully measure. His record included meaningful tournament results, but his standing among fellow professionals was closely tied to his performance in high-stakes cash games over a period spanning decades.
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David Oppenheim’s WSOP Career
Oppenheim has recorded significant World Series of Poker results without winning a bracelet.
As of September 1, 2026, the WSOP lists him with:
0 WSOP bracelets
0 WSOP Circuit rings
9 WSOP final tables
61 WSOP cashes
$1,637,835 in WSOP earnings
His most important WSOP tournament result came in the 2010 $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Oppenheim finished third for $603,348, which remains the largest live tournament cash listed on his Hendon Mob record.
The Poker Players Championship is particularly relevant to Oppenheim’s career because it rewards versatility across multiple poker disciplines. His deep finishes in the event reinforced the mixed-game credentials already established through his cash-game career.
Oppenheim returned to the $50,000 Poker Players Championship in 2012 and finished ninth for $142,197. Seven years later, he reached another deep stage of the event, placing seventh in 2019 for $124,410.
Those performances placed him deep in one of the WSOP’s most respected mixed-game championships on three separate occasions.
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Other Notable Tournament Results
Although tournaments have never been the primary foundation of Oppenheim’s reputation, he has recorded notable results outside the Poker Players Championship.
In 2011, he won the Full Tilt Poker Invitational Shootout during the Aussie Millions. Hendon Mob records the victory at A$250,000, worth approximately $247,255 for tournament-record purposes.
Oppenheim also reached third place in the 2003 Borgata Poker Open on the World Poker Tour for $117,500. The WPT currently credits him with no Main Tour victories, one Main Tour final table and $364,010 in Main Tour earnings.
His tournament record therefore reflects meaningful success across several major poker settings without a WSOP bracelet or WPT title.
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David Oppenheim’s Live Tournament Earnings
As of September 1, 2026, Hendon Mob lists David Oppenheim with $2,057,053 in total live tournament earnings.
His largest recorded cash remains the $603,348 he earned for finishing third in the 2010 WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
Live tournament earnings should not be treated as a complete measure of Oppenheim’s poker career. Public tournament databases generally track reported tournament results, while private and casino cash-game winnings are not comprehensively recorded.
That distinction is especially significant for a player whose professional reputation was built primarily in high-stakes cash games.
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Oppenheim’s Mixed-Game Reputation
Oppenheim is best described as a high-stakes cash-game and mixed-game specialist.
The WSOP’s Hall of Fame announcement specifically highlighted his proficiency across the mixed games, while his strongest recorded tournament performances also include major mixed-game championships.
His results in the Poker Players Championship, H.O.R.S.E. and seven-card stud provide tournament evidence of that versatility. More importantly, contemporary descriptions from the poker industry consistently identify his ability to compete across games as a central part of his professional reputation.
That breadth separates Oppenheim from players whose careers are identified primarily with no-limit Texas hold’em tournaments.
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David Oppenheim’s Return to Major Mixed-Game Competition
Oppenheim remained active in major tournament poker well after his 2019 Hall of Fame induction.
One of his strongest recent performances came at the 2025 World Series of Poker, where he entered the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. The event attracted 150 entries and produced a $3.525 million prize pool.
Oppenheim advanced to 10th place and earned $61,610. The field included accomplished mixed-game players and multiple Poker Hall of Fame members, making the result another notable addition to a career closely associated with mixed-game competition.
He returned to the WSOP again in 2026. Hendon Mob records cashes in the Mini Mystery Millions, $600 Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack and $1,500 Monster Stack during the series.
Those results confirm that Oppenheim remained active in live tournament competition through the 2026 World Series of Poker.
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Why David Oppenheim Matters in Poker
David Oppenheim’s career demonstrates why tournament trophies alone cannot fully define professional poker accomplishment.
He reached the Poker Hall of Fame without a WSOP bracelet and without a WPT Main Tour title. Instead, his recognition came after decades of competing for high stakes, developing expertise across multiple games and earning the respect of other elite professionals.
His tournament résumé supports that reputation rather than defining it. Multiple deep finishes in the Poker Players Championship, more than $2 million in recorded live earnings and continued mixed-game success provide a public record of a career whose most important work often occurred outside traditional tournament coverage.
That makes Oppenheim an important example of a different kind of poker career: one built primarily through long-term performance in elite cash games rather than through a collection of televised championship victories.
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David Oppenheim’s Current Poker Status
As of September 1, 2026, Oppenheim remains an active tournament player based on recorded results from the 2026 World Series of Poker.
His Hendon Mob record lists three cashes during the 2026 WSOP, following his 10th-place finish in the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. in 2025.
Public tournament records do not provide a complete picture of his current cash-game activity, so it would be inaccurate to assume the frequency or stakes of his present cash-game schedule. What can be verified is that Oppenheim continued competing in live WSOP events in 2026, more than three decades after beginning his poker career.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is David Oppenheim in the Poker Hall of Fame?
Yes. David Oppenheim was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2019 alongside Chris Moneymaker. His induction recognized a career built around high-stakes cash games, mixed-game expertise, longevity and the respect of his peers.
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How many WSOP bracelets does David Oppenheim have?
David Oppenheim has no WSOP bracelets as of September 1, 2026. The WSOP lists him with nine final tables and 61 cashes despite never winning a bracelet.
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How much has David Oppenheim won in live poker tournaments?
Hendon Mob lists David Oppenheim with $2,057,053 in live tournament earnings as of September 1, 2026. Tournament earnings do not include a comprehensive accounting of private or casino cash-game results.
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What is David Oppenheim’s biggest tournament cash?
Oppenheim’s largest recorded live tournament cash is $603,348. He earned it by finishing third in the 2010 WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
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Does David Oppenheim have a WPT title?
No. The World Poker Tour lists Oppenheim with zero Main Tour wins. His best recorded WPT Main Tour finish was third place in the 2003 Borgata Poker Open for $117,500.
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What type of poker is David Oppenheim known for?
Oppenheim is best known as a high-stakes cash-game and mixed-game specialist. His reputation was established through decades of competition across multiple poker variants rather than through specialization in no-limit hold’em tournaments alone.
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Is David Oppenheim still playing poker?
Yes, based on current tournament records. Hendon Mob lists three cashes for Oppenheim during the 2026 World Series of Poker, confirming live tournament activity through June 2026.