Allen Bari  

Allen Bari is a professional poker player who made his first live-event cash in 2004. In the first 7 years of his career, Allen cashed in 55 events, made 24 final tables, cashed 14 times at the WSOP, won a gold bracelet, and earned close to $3 million.

Born July 12, 1984, in New Jersey, Allen began playing poker with his high school friends. He continued playing poker while attending college at Rutgers University, and earned his degree in finance and economics in 2006. After graduating, Allen entered into the workforce as an analyst for AIG and Morgan Stanley, but in 2007, he left the financial world to focus on a career as a poker pro.

Allen made his first live event cash in 2004 at the Empire State Hold’em Championships at the Turning Stone Casino, finishing 6th in the $100 NLHE to earn $937. His next 4 cashes of the year were all at the same event. In 2006 he finished 8th in the $200 NLHE for $1,902 and placed 3rd in the $300 NLHE to earn $4,111. In 2007, he cashed twice, finishing runner-up in the $300 NLHE for $17,142.

In January 2008, Allen’s first of 18 cashes came at the Winter Poker Weekend in Verona where he was runner-up in the $300 NLHE for $6,295. He cashed at the WPT Borgata Winter Open, and 3 times at the Deep Stack Extravaganza in Las Vegas, which included a 3rd place finish in the $2,600 NLHE for $59,179.  Allen won his first event, and collected his first WSOP Circuit ring, when he won the $1,000 NLHE to earn $72,000 at the WSOP Circuit event in Atlantic City. Next, he cashed 3 times at the Foxwoods Poker Classic, including 8th in the $9,700 NLHE WPT Event for $48,450.

In Las Vegas at the 2008 WSOP, Allen cashed 3 times, including finishing in the money in the Main Event. In between WSOP events, he was back in Atlantic City to win the $5,000 NLHE Championship Event at the Borgata Summer Poker Open to earn $500,250. Other cashes were at the Deep Stack Extravaganza, the Empire State Hold’em Championships, the WPT Borgata Poker Open, the World Poker Finals, and a 5th place finish for $52,026 in the $5,000 NLHE Championship Event at the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Atlantic City. His achievements that year landed Allen in the Top 25 for the 2008 Card Player Magazine Player of the Year race.

Allen’s first cash of 2009 was a runner-up finish in the $1,500 NLHE Main Event at the Borgata $500,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack, where he earned $196,436. At the WSOP, he cashed 3 times, with his best effort being 8th place in the $2,500 Razz for $19,880, before finishing 3rd in the $2,000 NLHE Championship Event for $83,400 at the Summer Showdown Uncasville. His other cashes that year were at the WPT Borgata Poker Open, the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond, the EPT Vilamoure, and the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, where he cashed twice.

In 2010, Allen cashed at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship, and cashed 3 times at the L.A. Poker Classic, where he finished 4th in the $5,100 NLHE for $50,440. At the EPT Grand Final Monte Carlo, he finished 7th in the €25,000 NLHE High Roller Event to earn €109,900, before attending the WSOP where he would cash in 4 events.

At the 2010 WSOP, Allen’s best efforts were 14th place for $113,030 in the $50,000 8-Game Mix Players Championship Event, and 8th in the $1,500 Stud-8 for $17,274. His other cashes  came at the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza, the EPT/UKIPT London, the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond, and the NAPT Los Angeles.

As of October, Allen had cashed 9 times in 2011. He cashed at the L.A. Poker Classic, the Battle at the Beach, the EPT Grand Final Madrid, the Borgata Double Deep Stack Open, and took 5th for $211,997 in the $9,600 NLHE Championship Event at the Seminole Hard Rock Showdown. At the WSOP, he made the money 4 times, collecting his first gold bracelet and $874,116 when he won the $5,000 NLHE event.

Following his WSOP bracelet victory, Allen said, “I was expecting to win a bracelet. Seriously, I thought that if I did not win a bracelet, it would like be a joke. I do not think my swagger is undeserved. I’ve been playing poker a long time and have been working hard at it.” Although some found his bravado controversial, Allen felt he was merely expressing self-confidence borne of his many successes as a professional poker player.