Ben Lamb

Benjamin "Ben" Lamb (born March 31, 1985) is an American professional poker player. Lamb is the 2011 World Series of Poker Player of the Year. He was also a member of the 2011 November Nine, finishing in third place. He currently has one World Series of Poker bracelet and four career World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tables, three in Pot Limit Omaha and one in the 8-game mix format. He was the winner of the 2011 Card Player Player of the Year Award. He has had at least three in the money finishes in each of the last three World Series of Poker. He also has a United States Poker Championship and a Spring Championship of Online Poker championship, both in No Limit Texas hold 'em.

Lamb became a professional poker player in 2004. On September 23, 2006, he won the 2006 United States Poker Championship $500 No Limit hold 'em 400-player event for a prize of $60,000. Another notable championship was his victory in the May 11, 2010 Spring Championship of Online Poker $109 No Limit hold 'em event. He outlasted a field of 4,204 competitors for a prize of $66,003.97. In 2011, he dominated the World Series of Poker on his way to the Card Player Player of the Year Award.

Lamb at 2011 World Series of Poker main event, July 2011

Prior to 2011, his only WSOP final table was the Tuesday, June 22, 2010 to Thursday, June 24, 2010 $1500 41st Annual World Series of Poker Event #41: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better where he was 5th in a field of 847 for a prize of $53,319. His best WSOP main event finish prior to 2011 came in 2009, when he finished 14th in the 6494-player event for a prize of $633,022. His first six WSOP in the money finishes were in Texas hold 'em, but as of 30 June 2011 four of his last five WSOP cashes were in pot limit Omaha hold 'em, including both the 2010 and 2011 $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Omaha events.

At the 2011 World Series of Poker, he had four in the money finishes: He won a WSOP bracelet in the 361-player $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship Event 42 for a prize of $814,436; he finished 2nd in the 685-player $3000 Pot Limit Omaha Event 31 for a prize of $259,918; he finished 12th in the 474-player $10,000 No Limit Hold'em / Six Handed Championship Event 46 for a prize of $56,140; and he finished 8th in the 128-player $50,000 Poker Player's Championship Event 55 for a prize of $201,338.

At the 2011 WSOP Main Event, Lamb was chip leader after Day 1-B, which was the second of four Day 1 starts in the tournament. He amassed 188,925 chips from a starting stack of 30,000. He was also the overall chip leader after Day 2-B (of two Day 2 starts), entering Day 3 with 551,600 chips. On Day 6, he overtook Phil Hellmuth in the Player of the Year race and finished the day in second place in chips out of 57 remaining players. On Day 8, he qualified for the 2011 November Nine in fifth place with 20,875,000 chips. Lamb went on to finish in third place, earning $4,021,138.

Although several online poker databases list Lamb as being from Las Vegas, Nevada, his residence is listed as Tulsa, Oklahoma in WSOP.com event results. Lamb attended Jenks High School in Tulsa, graduating in 2004. He briefly attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He is a former dealer at Tulsa's Cherokee Casino, which is now the Hard Rock Casino.