Sarne Lightman

Sarne Lightman first appeared on the live tournament scene in the late 2000s. In 2008, he entered the Aussie Millions Main Event, where he was eliminated after his pocket queens were outdrawn by Shane Moran.

Lightman's most notable poker achievement came at the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event. He finished in 112th place out of 6,494 entrants, earning a significant cash prize (amount not disclosed in available records). His run ended when his hand lost to Michael Jansen, who went on to chip up.

Beyond the felt, Lightman has built a successful career in the online gaming and fintech sectors. According to his LinkedIn profile, he serves as Managing Director of NSUS Group, the parent company of online poker (since February 2022). He is also Co-Founder of Tradeoff Financial Corp (since September 2020). Previously, he was Managing Director of BetBright, where he led the company to a $20 million sale. He has held executive roles at Coinomy and other tech startups.

As Managing Director of online poker, Lightman has been instrumental in expanding the brand's live tournament presence. In January 2025, he announced a partnership between online poker and Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, making the venue the exclusive Ontario host for WSOP Circuit events. This collaboration underscores his influence in bridging online and live poker.