Jesse Martin

Jesse Martin is an American professional poker player from Northboro, Massachusetts. He has recorded more than $3.26 million in documented live tournament earnings, with a best single cash of $594,570. At various ranking updates he has appeared around 767th on the all-time money list, roughly 384th among players from the United States, and near the top of the Massachusetts all-time list. His global poker ranking is approximately #758. He has crossed the $3 million milestone, is recognized as a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and maintains an active Twitter presence at @MazeOrBowie.

Martin has two WSOP bracelets. On June 23, 2013, he won the $10,000 2-7 Single Draw championship for $253,524. A year later, on June 22, 2014, he finished third in the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship, collecting $594,570, the biggest single tournament cash of his career. On June 24, 2015, he took second place in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship for $180,114. These deep runs in mixed-game and limit events demonstrate his versatility beyond no-limit hold'em. He has been playing some of the biggest poker tournaments in the world for more than a decade.

On December 16, 2019, Martin made headlines for a $2 million victory in DraftKings' $10 Million Fantasy Football World Championship Final in Miami. The event drew 180 entries, with $10 million distributed and $2 million going to first place; every entrant received at least $15,000. Martin entered as "180DegreesMiami," having qualified in early November through a satellite valued at $55,556. In that satellite, he was the only entrant to roster backup Ravens tight end Nick Boyle, who scored a touchdown against the Patriots.

His championship lineup leaned on a risky Kansas City stack: Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill were selected by only 4.4% and 6.1% of the field because of blizzard conditions in Kansas City and a matchup with a tough Broncos defense. He also used Eagles players Greg Ward and Boston Scott, who were pressed into larger roles by injuries. Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey delivered monster performances at running back. Martin roared to the top spot after the first slate of games, and Tyler Higbee and Chris Conley supplied enough afternoon points to defend the lead. His 220.9 fantasy points held off a late charge by Kenyan Drake's four-touchdown game, giving him a 7.08-point margin. The field included a who's who of top DFS players, including fellow poker players Max Steinberg and Brandon Adams. Poker pros Dan Zack and Owais Ahmed congratulated him; when an onlooker called his lineup "legitimately terrible," Martin joked that he had finally made it in DFS. His $2 million DFS score dwarfed any individual poker cash of his career. A poker player had won the same marquee event before: Aaron Jones took $5 million in January 2016.

Beyond the WSOP, Martin has excelled on the WPT and other major tours. On April 15, 2007, he won the Five Star World Poker Classic $2,620 no-limit hold'em event for $289,740. On February 25, 2017, he finished fifth in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic $10,000 Main Event for $230,380. His five largest recorded tournament cashes are:

Martin is regarded as a patient, fundamentally sound player. He relies on solid postflop fundamentals, uses position well, and reads opponents accurately; he tends to apply pressure in position but plays more conservatively out of it. He reportedly developed his poker game online in the early years before transitioning to live tournaments. He has also earned the label of a "poker scholar" for his interest in poker theory and mathematics, along with careful bankroll management. His DFS success highlights the analytical skills that transfer between poker and other games of skill.