Aaron Boyd

Dutch Boyd was born Russell Aaron Boyd on December 24, 1980, in Warrensburg, Missouri. Raised by a single mother who worked as a cake decorator, Boyd and his younger brother learned to read by age three. A gifted student, he skipped several grades and took the ACT at age 11, scoring 23. He earned an associate's degree by 13 and a bachelor's degree from Central Missouri State University shortly after. At 14, he took the Law School Admissions Test and scored 165, leading him to enroll in law school. He graduated with a law degree at age 18, becoming one of the youngest law graduates in history.

Inspired by the 1998 film Rounders, Boyd abandoned a legal career to pursue poker. He read Thursday Night Poker by Peter Steiner and began playing online poker. After law school, he moved to California, playing poker during the day and working at a department store at night.

In May 2000, Boyd and his brother Robert launched PokerSpot, an online poker cardroom based in Antigua. They raised $50,000 from family and friends but struggled with marketing and operations. The site shut down in late 2001, failing to refund approximately $400,000 in player funds. Boyd later attributed the failure to a delay from their credit card processor, but the incident sparked significant controversy. The stress contributed to Boyd's mental health issues, leading to a brief commitment in Antigua.

Boyd first gained media attention in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, finishing 12th. He was involved in a pivotal hand against eventual champion Chris Moneymaker, bluffing with KQ on a 9-2-5 flop; Moneymaker called with pocket 3s, and Boyd's overcards missed, crippling his stack. Boyd later founded "The Crew," a group of young players who achieved notable success.

Boyd has won three WSOP bracelets:

• 2006: $2,500 Short Handed No-Limit Hold'em — $475,712 (largest tournament win)
• 2010: $2,500 Limit Hold'em/Six Handed — $234,065
• 2014: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em — $288,744

As of 2023, Boyd's 69 WSOP cashes total over $1.9 million.

In 2007, Boyd won a $1,000 buy-in event at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $237,685. He has also cashed multiple times on the World Poker Tour, though without a title or final table. His total live tournament winnings exceed $2.7 million.

After PokerSpot's failure, Boyd attempted to launch another online poker room using a monthly membership fee model, but the venture never materialized. In 2009, he was sued by Two Plus Two Publishing (owned by Mason Malmuth) for trademark infringement. Boyd's public response to the lawsuit included mocking remarks about the case.

Boyd is known for an aggressive, bluffy style, as evidenced by his 2003 Main Event hand against Moneymaker. He is a versatile player, having succeeded in both no-limit and limit hold'em. His three WSOP bracelets cement his place among accomplished tournament pros. Boyd has also ventured into streaming on Twitch.

Boyd lives in Las Vegas with his long-term girlfriend, Michelle. He has been open about his past mental health struggles following the PokerSpot collapse.