Ron Rose

Ronald Morris Rose was born on September 4, 1944, in Vancouver, Washington. Prior to poker, he worked as a mathematician and project engineer in the United States Air Force, earning an honorable discharge as a Captain in 1975. He later became an entrepreneur, holding a seat on the American Stock Exchange and owning his own commodities firm.

Rose learned to play poker at age six and began tournament play in his late 50s. His first WSOP cash came in 2001, finishing 18th in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. In 2003, he won his first WSOP bracelet in the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em event, defeating a field of 377 opponents to collect $130,060. He made another WSOP final table in 2006, finishing 6th in the Seniors event out of 1,184 players, earning $37,710.

Rose made an early mark on the World Poker Tour, finishing 6th in the 2002 World Poker Finals for $44,500. In 2003, he won the World Poker Challenge in Reno, earning $168,298 after defeating a final table that included Paul Magriel and T.J. Cloutier. His biggest WPT triumph came in 2004 when he won the inaugural Battle of Champions, a televised event on NBC that pitted all winners from the WPT's first season against each other. Rose outlasted notables such as Howard Lederer and Gus Hansen to take the $125,500 first prize.

Rose's first major success came in 2001 at the Aviation Club in Paris, where he won three different poker events (Pot-Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi, and Omaha Hi-Lo) in a single week. He also won the No-Limit Hold'em tournament on his last visit to Paris in 2002. In 2004, he made the final table of the first Professional Poker Tour event at Foxwoods, finishing third for $60,000 behind John Juanda and Chris Bigler.

In 2004, Rose authored the book Poker Aces: The Stars of Tournament Poker (ISBN 0-9749724-0-1), profiling top tournament players. He remained a respected figure in the poker community, known for his disciplined, patient style and strong fundamentals.

Rose resided in Las Vegas, Nevada, for much of his later life. He battled cancer for several years and died on October 24, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the age of 75. His total live tournament winnings exceeded $1,063,508, with a best cash of $168,298.

Rose was known for a tight-aggressive approach, relying on mathematical precision and situational awareness. He excelled in deep-stacked play and was often described as a tough opponent due to his ability to read opponents and make disciplined folds. His style emphasized patience and waiting for high-probability opportunities, making him a consistent earner over a long career.