Ted Forrest

Ted Forrest was born on September 24, 1964, in Syracuse, New York. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he resides. Over his career, he has been known by several nicknames, including "Professor Backwards," "The Suicide King," "The Hitman," and "Spooky." In 1992, he won two tournaments at the LA Poker Classic and one at the World Poker Finals in Mashantucket, establishing himself as a rising talent.

Forrest's first major breakthrough came at the 1993 World Series of Poker (WSOP), where he won three bracelets in a single year — a feat that placed him among the game's elite. He took down the $1,500 Seven Card Razz event for $78,400, the $1,500 Omaha 8 or Better for $120,000, and the $5,000 Seven Card Stud for $114,000. After a period focused on cash games, he returned to the WSOP in 2004 and captured two more bracelets: the $1,500 Seven Card Stud ($111,440) and the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($300,300). His sixth bracelet came in 2014, when he defeated Phil Hellmuth heads-up in the $1,500 Seven Card Razz event, earning $121,196. As of 2015, his total WSOP cashes amount to $1,922,990 across 31 money finishes. His highest WSOP Main-Even finish was 408th in 2006.

WSOP Bracelets

Forrest has also achieved significant success on the World Poker Tour (WPT). He made five final tables and won his first WPT title in March 2007 at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars Tournament. In the longest heads-up duel in WPT history, he defeated J. J. Liu to collect the $1,100,000 first prize. In March 2006, he won the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, defeating Erik Seidel, Chad Brown, Sam Farha, Shahram Sheikhan, and Chris Ferguson to claim the $500,000 prize. He also won a championship on the Professional Poker Tour (PPT) and competed in the second season of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament, advancing to the quarter-finals. He appeared in the first two seasons of GSN's High Stakes Poker.

Forrest is renowned for his fearlessness in high-stakes cash games. He was a key member of a consortium of poker players who pooled their money to play Texas billionaire Andy Beal in a series of extremely high-limit heads-up Texas hold'em games, with limits ranging from $20,000/$40,000 to $100,000/$200,000. This episode cemented his reputation as a world-class high-stakes competitor.

Forrest's approach to no-limit hold'em differs from many conventional pros. While many advocate raising or folding pre-flop, Forrest has repeatedly stated and demonstrated that limping and simply calling raises are valid strategies that should be used frequently. His game is characterized by aggression, excellent hand reading, and adaptability across variants such as stud, Omaha, and hold'em. His calm demeanor and analytical mindset make him a formidable opponent in any setting.

Forrest's first three WSOP bracelets were stolen. He gave one of his remaining two to his daughter and keeps the other locked away. He also owns a WSOP bracelet originally belonging to Hamid Dastmalchi, which he purchased from Dastmalchi for $1,500 after the 1992 champion complained about its value. In September 2016, Forrest was charged in Las Vegas with two felonies related to writing bad checks — drawing and passing a check without sufficient funds with intent to defraud, and theft. As of August 2015, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,200,000.