Michael Estes Poker Profile: WSOP Circuit Rings, Career Earnings & Major Results
Michael Estes is an American poker player from Illinois with more than $1.38 million in recorded live tournament earnings and three World Series of Poker Circuit rings. His biggest recorded cash came at the 2023 WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas, where he finished fifth in a $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $293,032.
Estes has also built an extensive record in WSOP and WSOP Circuit competition. He won his first Circuit ring at Grand Victoria Casino in November 2023, captured the 2024 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event for $198,576, and added his third ring in April 2026 with a Pot-Limit Omaha victory at Grand Victoria Casino.
His mixed-game and Omaha results have become another important part of his tournament résumé. At the 2026 World Series of Poker, Estes finished 12th in the $1,500 Big O event for $20,940 before reaching the final table of the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event and placing sixth for $88,660.
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Estes with $1,385,944 in live tournament earnings and a career-best cash of $293,032. The World Series of Poker lists him with three WSOP Circuit rings and no WSOP bracelets.
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Who Is Michael Estes?
Michael Estes is a United States poker player associated with Illinois. The Hendon Mob lists his residence as Lacon, Illinois, while WSOP tournament records have also listed him as being from Chicago.
His recorded live tournament history stretches back to 2008, when The Hendon Mob lists a $843 cash in a Deep Stack Poker Challenge event in Gary, Indiana. His tournament activity became considerably more substantial in the 2020s, with repeated cashes in WSOP events, Circuit stops and major regional tournaments.
Estes has demonstrated success in both No-Limit Hold'em and mixed or Omaha formats. That versatility has produced Circuit titles, a major Main Event victory and multiple deep runs at the World Series of Poker.
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Michael Estes' Major Poker Accomplishments
Three WSOP Circuit rings as of August 2026
More than $1.38 million in recorded live tournament earnings
Career-best live cash of $293,032
Fifth place in a $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2023 WPT World Championship festival for $293,032
Winner of the 2024 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event for $198,576
Sixth place in the 2026 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $88,660
Twelfth place in the 2026 WSOP $1,500 Big O event for $20,940
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WSOP Circuit Success
Estes won his first WSOP Circuit ring in November 2023 at Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Illinois. He took down the $400 Monster Stack for $48,464.
His second ring produced one of the defining results of his career. In September 2024, Estes defeated a 746-entry field in the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event. The victory earned him $198,576.
PokerNews reported that Estes entered the final day as chip leader and ultimately defeated Grant Keller heads-up for the championship.
Estes added a third Circuit ring on April 8, 2026, when he won a $400 Pot-Limit Omaha event at Grand Victoria Casino. WSOP records list 149 entries and a $12,330 first-place payout.
Those victories give Estes Circuit titles in both No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha.
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Career-Best WPT World Championship Result
Estes recorded his largest live tournament cash during the 2023 WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas.
He finished fifth in a $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em tournament for $293,032. The result remains his career-best recorded live cash according to The Hendon Mob.
The score came shortly after his first WSOP Circuit ring and marked a major step forward in his tournament career.
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2024 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond Main Event Win
Estes returned to the Chicago-area Circuit scene in 2024 and produced another major breakthrough at Horseshoe Hammond.
The $1,700 Main Event attracted 746 entries and generated a prize pool of more than $1.1 million. Estes reached the final day as the chip leader and went on to defeat Grant Keller heads-up.
His $198,576 victory was his second-largest recorded tournament cash and gave him his second WSOP Circuit ring.
The win also established Estes as a repeat champion on a Circuit where he had already accumulated numerous cashes and deep runs.
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Michael Estes at the World Series of Poker
Estes has accumulated numerous cashes at the World Series of Poker across several poker formats.
One of his first major WSOP runs came in 2023, when he finished sixth in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better event for $25,089. He also recorded a 14th-place result in the $3,000 Nine Game Mix that summer.
At the 2024 WSOP, he continued to appear in deep stages of mixed-game events, including reaching the final 20 of the $1,500 Big O tournament.
His strongest WSOP summer to date came in 2026. Estes recorded several notable finishes:
23rd in the $1,500 Dealer's Choice event for $6,606
12th in the $1,500 Big O event for $20,940
6th in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $88,660
74th in the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $4,820
The sixth-place PLO finish was his largest WSOP cash through August 2026.
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2026 WSOP Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table
Estes reached one of the most significant WSOP final tables of his career in Event #35, the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament.
The event attracted 2,581 entries. Estes advanced to the final day and ultimately finished sixth for $88,660.
PokerNews reported that his final hand came against eventual champion Jason Zipfel. Estes entered the pot holding queens with additional straight and flush possibilities, but Zipfel improved to a full house on the river.
The result followed Estes' 12th-place finish in the $1,500 Big O event only days earlier, giving him two notable Omaha-based runs during the same WSOP.
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Other Notable Tournament Results
Estes has produced several additional six-figure and major regional results beyond his WSOP and Circuit titles.
In December 2024, he finished third in a $1,600 No-Limit Hold'em tournament during the Aria Poker Open for $168,269.
In July 2025, he won the MSPT Iowa Poker State Championship for $153,551.
He remained active in 2026 and finished third in the $1,110 MSPT Main Event at Ameristar East Chicago in April for $37,330 before heading to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker.
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Michael Estes' Live Tournament Earnings
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Michael Estes with $1,385,944 in live tournament earnings and a best live cash of $293,032.
Poker earnings databases can differ because they may include different events or apply different accounting standards. The Hendon Mob figure is used here as the primary live-tournament earnings reference.
His recorded earnings have been built through a combination of:
WSOP Circuit victories
World Series of Poker cashes
World Poker Tour festival results
MSPT tournaments
Regional poker series
Mixed-game and Omaha events
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What Games Does Michael Estes Play?
Estes has recorded results across a wider range of formats than a player known only for No-Limit Hold'em.
His tournament record includes:
No-Limit Hold'em
Pot-Limit Omaha
Big O
Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo
H.O.R.S.E.
Dealer's Choice
Nine Game Mix
Omaha Hi-Lo
His three WSOP Circuit rings include victories in No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha.
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Is Michael Estes Still Playing Poker?
Yes. Current tournament records show Estes remained active through the 2026 World Series of Poker.
His 2026 results included a WSOP Circuit Pot-Limit Omaha victory, a third-place MSPT Main Event finish and multiple WSOP cashes, highlighted by his sixth-place finish in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha bracelet event.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much has Michael Estes won in poker?
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Michael Estes with $1,385,944 in recorded live tournament earnings.
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How many WSOP bracelets does Michael Estes have?
Michael Estes has not won a WSOP bracelet as of August 2026.
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How many WSOP Circuit rings does Michael Estes have?
The World Series of Poker lists Michael Estes with three WSOP Circuit rings as of August 2026.
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What is Michael Estes' biggest poker cash?
His largest recorded live tournament cash is $293,032 for finishing fifth in a $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event during the 2023 WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas.
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Did Michael Estes win a WSOP Circuit Main Event?
Yes. Estes won the 2024 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond $1,700 Main Event, defeating a field of 746 entries and earning $198,576.
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What was Michael Estes' best result at the 2026 WSOP?
Estes finished sixth in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $88,660. He also finished 12th in the $1,500 Big O event for $20,940.
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Where is Michael Estes from?
The Hendon Mob lists Estes as residing in Lacon, Illinois. WSOP tournament records have also listed him as being from Chicago, Illinois.