Tony Bloom

Tony Bloom was born in Brighton, England, and educated at Lancing College before earning a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Manchester. After graduation, he worked for about two years at the accounting firm Ernst & Young, then served as an options trader for six months before ultimately deciding to pursue a full-time career in gambling.

In the late 1990s, Bloom was employed by the betting company Victor Chandler, tasked with setting up international gambling operations in Bangkok, which gave him exposure to Asian markets and the Asian handicap system. He founded the online football betting company Premierbet and sold it for £1 million just before the 2022 World Cup. Additionally, he founded and sold other online gambling companies such as Tribeca Tables and St Minver. Through his company Starlizard, Bloom operates a private betting syndicate based in Camden, North London, which is believed to have been consistently profitable over the long term. A spinoff of Starlizard, Jamestown Analytics (founded in 2017), provides data analysis on players and coaches to football and cricket clubs. Bloom also holds a substantial portfolio of real estate and private equity.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Bloom has been chairman of English club Brighton & Hove Albion since 2009. He is a lifelong fan of the club, and his family has deep ties: his uncle Ray is a director, and his grandfather Harry served as vice-chairman in the 1970s. Bloom took over from Dick Knight after acquiring a 75% stake in the club and invested £93 million in the construction of the new home ground, Falmer Stadium. Brighton gained promotion from League One to the Championship in 2011 and reached the Premier League in the 2016–17 season, ending a 34-year absence from the top flight. In the 2021–22 season, Brighton set a club record for Premier League points with 51, finishing ninth; in 2022–23, they finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League for the first time.

Heart of Midlothian and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

In June 2025, Bloom invested £9.86 million for a 29% non-voting stake in Heart of Midlothian F.C. In May 2026, UEFA began reviewing the relationship between Hearts and Brighton due to Bloom's links to both clubs (both were in contention to qualify for the Europa League). Bloom is also an investor and minority shareholder in Belgian Pro League club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, as well as a minority shareholder in Australian A-League club Melbourne Victory and Scottish Premiership club Hearts.

Bloom's poker career began with cash games before transitioning to tournaments. He has 15 WSOP cash records, with his best WSOP Main Event finish being 512th in 2006. He made one WPT final table (5th place in the 2003–2004 World Poker Challenge for $73,517) and earned one cash in the EPT.

His largest live cash came as runner-up in the 2011 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge (A$975,000). Other notable high-stakes results include: runner-up in the 2009 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge (A$403,890), winner of the 2022 Poker Masters #8 – $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event ($360,000), winner of the 2004 Crown Australasian Poker Championship No-Limit Hold'em event (A$339,749), and 27th place in the 2016 WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop ($166,212). As of 2026, his total live tournament earnings exceed $3.89 million.

Bloom's nickname "The Lizard" derives from the resemblance of his surname to the word "lizard" and his calm, reptilian demeanor at the table. His playing style is characterized by aggressive bluffing and precise hand reading, leveraging position to frequently raise and re-raise, forcing opponents into difficult decisions with marginal holdings. He is adept at post-flop play, combining range analysis with opponent tendencies to execute high-variance maneuvers. Although public records do not detail many specific titles, he is regarded in the industry as one of the world's elite high-stakes players.

Bloom is known for being secretive in the poker community, rarely granting interviews and preferring to maintain a low profile. He is also a director and long-time shareholder of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, often influencing transfer decisions through data analysis.