Kahle Burns

Born in 1988 in Geelong, Australia, Kahle Burns discovered poker shortly after high school. He dropped out of university at age 20 to pursue the game full-time, spending the first half of his career grinding high-stakes cash games at Crown Casino in Melbourne. His background in sports—Burns was a professional cricketer before turning to poker—helped develop the discipline and mental fortitude that would later define his tournament play.

Burns transitioned to the international tournament circuit in 2016 and quickly made his mark. His career-best live cash of $1,730,000 came in 2022 when he won the Triton Poker Series Cyprus $75,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed event. He also finished 5th in the 2020 WSOP Main Event for over $2 million, and won the $100,000 Challenge at the Aussie Millions in 2020. As of 2025, his total live tournament earnings exceed $14.5 million, placing him second on Australia's all-time money list behind Michael Addamo.

Burns famously won two World Series of Poker bracelets in a single week during the 2019 WSOP Europe in Rozvadov. He captured the €25,500 Platinum High Roller No-Limit Hold'em for €596,883, and then took down the €2,500 Short Deck No-Limit Hold'em event for €101,834. These victories showcased his adaptability across different formats and elevated him to global prominence. He has multiple additional WSOP final tables, including a 5th-place finish in the 2025 $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship.

Burns is a regular on the high-stakes circuit, particularly in Triton Poker events. He has 11 Triton cashes totaling over $3.64 million, including a win in 2022 and several final-table appearances in events with buy-ins up to $100,000. At the 2025 Triton Jeju series, he recorded six cashes across various events, demonstrating consistent high-level performance. He also plays professionally online with over $2.6 million in WSOP.com earnings and 22 cashes, including a runner-up finish in a $10,300 high roller in 2021 for $939,301.

Burns is known for a "fearless, high-aggression, and incredibly versatile" playing style. He successfully transitioned from a feel-based cash game background to an elite tournament strategy grounded in modern GTO principles. His constant-pressure approach exploits opponents' weaknesses, and he excels in post-flop scenarios thanks to deep-stack experience. Burns is particularly effective in Short Deck and mixed games, where creativity and rapid adaptation are rewarded. He emphasizes the mental warfare aspect of poker, often reading physical tells and maintaining intense focus at the table.

In 2020, Burns was inducted into the Australian Poker Hall of Fame alongside Lynn Gilmartin, cementing his status as one of the country's all-time greats. He remains a proud representative of the Melbourne poker scene and frequently mentors local talent. Despite his global travels to Macau, Jeju, and Las Vegas, he maintains a strong connection to his Australian roots. With sustained success into 2025 and beyond, Kahle Burns continues to chase the top spot on the Australian money list while solidifying his legacy as a versatile and formidable competitor in the poker world.

In 2025, Burns continued his winning ways with a victory in the Crown Poker Series Main Event in Melbourne for $136,716. He also recorded six cashes at the Triton Jeju series, including an 8th-place finish in the $40K Mystery Bounty event for $335,000 (including bounties). At the 2025 WSOP, he placed 5th in the $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship for $92,829, further demonstrating his versatility.

As of 2026, Burns's estimated poker net worth exceeds $12 million. His total live tournament earnings have surpassed $14.5 million, placing him 2nd on Australia's all-time money list and 101st overall on the Hendon Mob All-Time Money List. His online earnings on WSOP.com top $2.6 million, including a runner-up finish in a $10,300 high roller for $939,301.

Burns holds an SPI (Global Poker Index) ranking of 2,366 as of 2026, placing him 1,357th globally. He is also a GPI National Player of the Year award winner. His consistent cashes across multiple high-stakes tours contribute to his strong ranking.