Ted Forrest

If Ted Forrest wasn't such a good poker player, he would likely be the poster boy for gambling addiction. His wild and spontaneous bets have shocked onlookers at the poker tables and beyond.

Born in Syracuse, NY in 1964, it didn't take Ted long to find his way to Las Vegas. He was barely legal when he went pro in 1986.

While conservative Americans might consider such a move to be brash, it's nothing less than typical Ted Forrest behavior, and like so many other wild gambles it's ultimately paid off. Forrest is widely considered to be one of the best all-around poker players in competition today. While his pursuits have been erratic, his wins have been consistent, and Forrest currently has five WSOP bracelets to his credit — all of which are in different events.

In 1992, Forrest made his mark on the American poker scene via the L.A. Classic where he placed top ten in eleven different events and won two of them. The following year, Forrest's early success snowballed when he claimed three World Series of Poker bracelets at the 24th annual WSOP tournament.

After making such a massive entrance into the mainstream poker industry, Forrest's interest in tournaments waned. While he continued to make sporadic appearances and claimed several more modest purses at the WSOP tournaments of the 90's, Forrest turned the majority of his attention toward cash game competition.

It was during this time that Forrest really perfected his prowess in a multitude of games. While stud remains his strongest table, Forrest has claimed several notable titles at Hold 'em tables too.

By 2003, it was clear that Forrest's career was again making the shift from high stakes cash games back to major multi-table tournaments. A fifth-place finish in the World Poker Tour's first Five-Star World Poker Classic Main Event netted him just short of $120,000.

The following year, he would take first in the Limit 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo event at the same tournament. Two weeks later, Forrest further asserted his stud tournament dominance and proved that all the Hold 'em practice was paying off when he earned two more WSOP bracelets in both the Limit 7 Card Stud and No Limit Hold 'em events.

Several other major wins followed, and in 2007 Forrest earned a career-high $1.1 million when he won the WPT's Bay 101 Shooting Star No Limit Hold 'em Championship. In addition to being a formidable foe at any American poker tournament, Forrest has also begun to compete in international tournaments. He remains a notorious proposition bettor and is also commonly seen at high stakes games in his hometown of Las Vegas where he is a permanent member of the famous player syndicate, The Corporation.