James Obst (Andy McLEOD)

James Obst was an excellent chess player before he became an excellent poker player. He began his career before he was even of legal playing age, at 14. He played mainly online at PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. He won 2 major online tournaments that propelled his career; the Spring Championship of Online Poker on PokerStars (to date, he has 4 SCOOP titles to his credit) and a Full Tilt Online Poker Series. At just 19, he had already amassed $1.5 million in online tournament winnings. But James doesn't just excel online, he also has, as we'll see, several fine performances in major live casino events.

His first WSOP bracelet

In 2017, James finally won his first WSOP bracelet in a $10,000 Razz tournament (aka Seven Card Stud Low) for a purse of $265,138. This purse didn't surpass the one he'd won the year before in the WSOP $10,000 Main Event (where he took home $427,000), but solidified his status as an elite player. After all, what player doesn't dream of winning a WSOP bracelet? His most recent great performance dates back to June 2023 when he finished 4th in a 7-handed tournament for a prize money of $411,824.

What does James Obst do away from the poker tables?

Although poker still plays a big part in James Obst's life in 2023, he still has other passions. He still plays chess with an impressive rating of 2097. To keep fit, he also plays two of his other passions, tennis and golf. He has also been seen doing a bit of coaching on the online coaching site founded by Phil Galfond, RunItOnce.