Ian Matakis: 2023 WSOP Player of the Year and Bracelet Winner
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014
Ian Matakis emerged as one of the most recognizable American tournament players of the 2020s after winning the 2023 World Series of Poker Player of the Year race. The Minnesota professional combined a WSOP bracelet victory with repeated deep runs across No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha to finish ahead of a field of established contenders.
His career extends well beyond that breakout summer. Matakis built much of his early reputation online, has won a WSOP Circuit ring, and has accumulated millions of dollars in both live and online tournament results. He has continued competing at major events, including a career-best live score at the 2026 WSOP.
As of September 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Matakis with more than $2.68 million in live tournament earnings and a best live cash of $320,763. The database also credits him with more than $2.78 million in online tournament earnings. Tournament databases change as new results are added, so those totals should be treated as a current snapshot rather than permanent career figures.
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Who Is Ian Matakis?
Ian Matakis is an American professional poker player from Faribault, Minnesota. He is best known for winning the 2023 WSOP Player of the Year title, a season in which he collected his first bracelet and produced one of the most consistent series performances of the year.
Matakis developed a significant portion of his game online before becoming a more familiar presence in major live tournaments. In a 2023 interview with PokerNews, he described himself at the time as primarily an online player who was transitioning toward playing more live poker.
That background remains important to understanding his career. Unlike players whose reputations were built almost entirely around televised live tournaments, Matakis accumulated extensive online experience while also developing a record across regional and major live events.
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Ian Matakis' Early Poker Career
Matakis was already producing notable tournament results before his WSOP Player of the Year season.
His early live résumé included multiple strong finishes on the Mid-States Poker Tour and in Minnesota events. Those regional results helped establish him as an emerging tournament player before his national profile expanded.
Online poker became another major part of his development. The Hendon Mob's online results database associates Matakis with the screen name RiverRiot72 and records hundreds of online tournament results. His online background gave him experience across high-volume tournament schedules and multiple poker formats.
That combination of regional live experience and extensive online play eventually translated into success on the WSOP stage.
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First WSOP Circuit Ring
Matakis earned his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring in 2021 during the GGPoker WSOP Super Circuit Online Series.
Playing under the screen name "potamophobia," he won the $800 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship. The tournament drew 669 entries and generated a $508,440 prize pool.
Matakis earned $87,386 for the victory, according to PokerNews' coverage of the event.
The result was an early example of his ability in Pot-Limit Omaha, a variant that would later play a major role in some of his biggest WSOP finishes.
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Ian Matakis Wins His First WSOP Bracelet
Matakis captured his first WSOP bracelet during the 2023 World Series of Poker.
He won Online Event #2, the $500 No-Limit Hold'em Bankroll Builder, for $120,686. The victory gave him his first bracelet and became one of the key results in his eventual Player of the Year campaign.
The bracelet was only part of his summer. Matakis repeatedly accumulated points through deep finishes in different events and formats rather than relying on a single major score.
One of his most important results came in a $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event, where he finished third for $205,696. That deep run late in the series helped strengthen his position in the Player of the Year standings.
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2023 WSOP Player of the Year
The defining accomplishment of Matakis' career to date is his 2023 WSOP Player of the Year title.
According to the World Series of Poker's official Player of the Year history, Matakis is the recognized 2023 winner.
PokerNews reported that he recorded 22 cashes during the series, including nine online cashes, and finished in the top 10 six times. His bracelet victory and repeated deep runs allowed him to finish the race with 5,203 points.
Matakis finished ahead of Shaun Deeb, who ended the race with 4,276 points, and Chris Brewer, who finished with 4,127.
The title placed Matakis alongside a list of previous WSOP Player of the Year winners that includes Daniel Negreanu, Shaun Deeb, Josh Arieh, Scott Seiver and other accomplished tournament professionals.
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Major Poker Accomplishments
Matakis' tournament résumé is highlighted by accomplishments in both live and online poker.
2023 World Series of Poker Player of the Year
One WSOP bracelet
One WSOP Circuit ring
Winner of the 2023 WSOP Online $500 No-Limit Hold'em Bankroll Builder
Winner of the 2021 GGPoker WSOP Super Circuit Online $800 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship
More than $2.68 million in recorded live tournament earnings as of September 2026
More than $2.78 million in recorded online tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob
Career-best live cash of $320,763 at the 2026 WSOP
The official WSOP player profile lists Matakis with one bracelet and one Circuit ring.
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Ian Matakis' Tournament Earnings
As of September 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Matakis with more than $2.68 million in live tournament earnings.
His online results are also a significant part of his career. The same database lists more than $2.78 million in online earnings associated with his recorded results.
Tournament earnings should not be confused with profit. Public poker databases generally track cashes rather than the full cost of buy-ins, travel, backing arrangements, taxes or other expenses.
Matakis' earnings totals can also continue changing whenever new tournament results are recorded.
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Pot-Limit Omaha Success
Although Matakis has significant No-Limit Hold'em results, Pot-Limit Omaha has repeatedly featured in some of his most notable tournament performances.
His first WSOP Circuit ring came in an online PLO championship in 2021. During his 2023 Player of the Year season, his third-place finish in a $3,000 PLO event earned $205,696 and provided important points in the season-long race.
PLO again produced his largest recorded live tournament score in 2026.
At the 2026 World Series of Poker, Matakis reached the final table of Event #70, the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship. The event drew 836 entries and created a $7,774,800 prize pool.
Matakis finished fifth for $320,763, according to the official WSOP results. Michael Mizrachi won the tournament for $1,350,203.
The result surpassed Matakis' previous best live cash and reinforced PLO as an important part of his tournament résumé.
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Ian Matakis in 2026
Matakis remained active in major tournament poker during 2026.
In addition to the $320,763 PLO Championship final table, he cashed in the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller at the WSOP, finishing 16th for $82,463.
His 2026 results also included cashes in No-Limit Hold'em tournaments at the WSOP, the ARIA Poker Classic, Wynn Las Vegas and the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open.
Those appearances show that Matakis continues to compete across both No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha rather than being defined solely by his 2023 Player of the Year run.
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What Makes Ian Matakis Notable?
Matakis' career illustrates the increasingly blended nature of modern tournament poker.
He developed substantial experience online, achieved success on the WSOP Circuit, became a bracelet winner, and then converted a high-volume WSOP summer into a Player of the Year championship.
His record also spans multiple formats. No-Limit Hold'em produced his first bracelet, while Pot-Limit Omaha has accounted for his Circuit ring and several of his largest live scores.
The 2023 Player of the Year title remains his signature accomplishment, but his subsequent results have shown that the season was not his final major appearance on the tournament circuit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many WSOP bracelets does Ian Matakis have?
Ian Matakis has one WSOP bracelet. He won it during the 2023 World Series of Poker in the $500 Online No-Limit Hold'em Bankroll Builder.
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Did Ian Matakis win WSOP Player of the Year?
Yes. Ian Matakis won the 2023 World Series of Poker Player of the Year title after recording 22 cashes and finishing the series with 5,203 points.
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How many WSOP Circuit rings does Ian Matakis have?
The official WSOP player database lists Ian Matakis with one Circuit ring. He won the ring in the 2021 GGPoker WSOP Super Circuit Online $800 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship.
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What is Ian Matakis' biggest live poker cash?
As of September 2026, Ian Matakis' largest recorded live tournament cash is $320,763. He earned it by finishing fifth in the 2026 WSOP $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship.
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How much has Ian Matakis won playing poker?
As of September 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Ian Matakis with more than $2.68 million in live tournament earnings and more than $2.78 million in recorded online tournament earnings. Those figures represent tournament cashes rather than estimated career profit and can change as new results are added.
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Where is Ian Matakis from?
Ian Matakis is from Faribault, Minnesota, in the United States. The Hendon Mob and Global Poker Index both list Faribault as his residence.
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What is Ian Matakis' online poker name?
The Hendon Mob associates Ian Matakis with the online screen name RiverRiot72. He has also competed under the name "potamophobia," including when he won his 2021 WSOP Circuit ring.
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Is Ian Matakis still playing poker?
Yes. Matakis remained active in major tournaments in 2026, including multiple WSOP cashes and a fifth-place finish in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship.