Chris Stull

Chris Stull was born on April 11, 1963, and is a computer scientist by training. He honed his poker skills playing for play money on IRC chat rooms in college. In 1994, he began playing tournaments in California, and in 1995 he entered his first World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Stull has won six WSOP bracelets, including the prestigious 2000 WSOP Main Event, where he defeated T.J. Cloutier heads-up to win $1.5 million. He also won the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship and finished runner-up to Phil Hellmuth in the 2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship. In 2004, he earned $120,000 for a 26th-place finish in the Main Event (out of 2,576 players). These results earned him the WSOP Player of the Year award in 2004. As of September 2020, his total live tournament winnings exceed $9.5 million, with over $6.8 million from 168 WSOP cashes. He also won three World Series of Poker Circuit rings, the first player to achieve that feat.

In 2004, Stull co-founded the online poker site Full Tilt Poker. However, on September 20, 2011, the United States Department of Justice amended a civil complaint against Full Tilt Poker, alleging that Stull, Howard Lederer, and Rafe Furst "lined their own pockets with funds picked from the pockets of their most loyal customers while blithely lying to both players and the public alike about the safety and security of the money deposited." This controversy significantly impacted his reputation.

Stull is a relatively quiet player who often adopts a characteristic motionless pose to avoid providing information to his opponents. He is known for his analytical, computer-science background, which he applies to range analysis and pot odds calculations.

Despite the Full Tilt scandal, Stull remains one of the most successful poker players in history, with six bracelets and a Main Event title. His calm demeanor and strategic play have influenced many aspiring players. He has since stepped back from public poker life but is still remembered for his achievements.