Rainer Kempe

Rainer Kempe was born on 24 July 1989 in Berlin, Germany. He attended the Rosa-Luxemburg-Gymnasium in Pankow and later studied at the University of Potsdam in Germany and the University of Sussex in Falmer, England. He currently resides in Brighton, England.

Kempe began playing live poker tournaments in 2011. His first recorded cash came that year, finishing 10th in a Berlin Triple A Series event for $2,044. From 2011 to 2014, he made modest profits before breaking through in 2015. That year, he finished 5th in the European Poker Tour €5,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event for €320,400. In December 2015, he won his first major title at EPT12 Prague, taking down the €25,500 Single Day High Roller for €539,000.

Kempe's career highlight came in 2016 when he won the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl in Las Vegas, earning $5 million—his largest cash to date. In March 2018, he finished third in the Super High Roller Bowl Macau for $2,040,533. In January 2019, he won the $50,000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Single-Day High Roller for $908,100. During the same series, he also won the $10,200 No Limit Hold'em KO Turbo for $117,280. Later that month, he won the Aussie Millions AU$25,000 Challenge for AU$831,465 (approximately $595,055). He also has a win in the $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Deep Stack Six Max at the 2025 WPT Rock 'n' Roll Poker Open for $19,705.

In 2025, Kempe achieved a long-awaited milestone by winning his first World Series of Poker bracelet in the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty event, earning $892,701. This victory capped a series of deep runs at the WSOP over the years, including multiple final tables and money finishes. As of 2025, he has 40 WSOP money finishes, two final tables, and one bracelet. Other notable recent results include a 31st place in the 2024 WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event for $180,300, and a 143rd place in the 2025 WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event for $80,000. He also cashed in the 2025 EPT Malta and 2024 WSOP events.

Kempe's style is described as "balanced aggressive." He excels at using position and range advantage, making precise post-flop decisions. In deep-stacked situations, he applies pressure with large bets, forcing opponents into mistakes. His strong hand-reading ability allows him to adjust to various opponents. Kempe is a member of the "No Limit Gaming" group alongside fellow German poker pros Fedor Holz, Stefan Schillhabel, Steffen Sontheimer, and Manig Loeser. The group combines poker players with video game enthusiasts and fields competitive Counter-Strike and League of Legends teams. Kempe is known for his humor and self-deprecating style, often sharing strategy insights and engaging with fans on social media. He is credited as an ambassador for German poker.

As of 2025, Rainer Kempe is the fourth most successful German poker player in terms of live tournament earnings, with over $23.5 million. He ranks 48th on the All Time Money List. His consistent performance in high roller events and his WSOP bracelet have cemented his place among the world's elite players. Kempe continues to be a formidable presence in high-stakes tournaments worldwide.

Kempe's WSOP record includes 79 career cashes, 7 final tables, and one bracelet, with total WSOP earnings exceeding $2.74 million. His breakthrough came in 2025 when he won Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty for $892,701. Prior to that, he had multiple deep runs, including a 21st-place finish in the 2025 $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em event ($17,693) and a 65th-place finish in the 2024 $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em ($12,109). He has also cashed in WSOP Paradise events, notably a 31st-place in the 2024 $25,000 Super Main Event ($180,300) and a 143rd-place in the 2025 edition ($80,000).

As of late 2025, Kempe has amassed 223 live tournament cashes, with total earnings of $23,728,764. On the World Poker Tour (WPT), he has 11 cashes and 3 final tables, with WPT earnings of $609,791. On the European Poker Tour (EPT), he has 5 cashes, 2 final tables (including a win), and EPT earnings of $583,180. His largest single cash remains the $5 million from the 2016 Super High Roller Bowl, followed by $2,040,533 from the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl China and $908,100 from the 2019 PCA High Roller. He has won at least one tournament each year from 2015 to 2025, demonstrating sustained success.

In recognition of his achievements, Kempe was awarded the Global Poker Index (GPI) National Player of the Year for Germany. He has also been featured in multiple media profiles, including an interview with SoMuchPoker.com, and his victories have been covered extensively by PokerNews and other outlets. His Super High Roller Bowl win in 2016 was particularly notable, as he defeated a star-studded field to claim the $5 million top prize. Kempe's bracelet win in 2025 was celebrated as a culmination of years of near-misses and deep runs at the WSOP.