Top Earners in Poker Across States: Continuation of the Ranking Saga, Portion Four
In the poker realm, it's the money that talks, and with the 2025 World Series of Poker knocking on our door, Poker News Daily is eager to find out who the big earners are, state by state. We've already dived into the poker histories of fourteen states, and now we're diving into Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, and Maryland.
Iowa
The race for poker supremacy in Iowa is a tight one, with the top five players separated by just $300,000. Alex Condon, the man aiming for the lead, sports an impressive 260 cashes in his career, with his best result being a fourth-place finish in the World Poker Tour's Five Diamond World Poker Classic in 2016 for nearly $500K. Here's a look at the top three players in Iowa poker history:
- Alex Condon (Sioux City, IA), $2,351,516
- Shiva Dudani (Ames, IA), $2,197,712
- Dustin Dirksen (Iowa City, IA), $2,107,715
Kansas
Brandon Steven holds the top spot in Kansas, but young gun Maxx Coleman is closing in fast. Averaging over $660,000 per year over the last five years, Coleman might dethrone Steven in the near future.
- Brandon Steven (Wichita, KS), $6,844,176
- Maxx Coleman (Derby, KS), $5,008,822
- Kirk Morrison (Wichita, KS), $3,198,299
Kentucky
The Bluegrass State has only four poker millionaires on its roster. Kurt Jewell leads the way, with many notches on his belt but no major wins. Charlie Dawson, however, can boast a WSOP online bracelet and five WSOP Circuit rings.
- Kurt Jewell (Frankfort, KY), $2,757,518
- Charlie Dawson (Owensboro, KY), $1,564,201
- William "Billy" Kopp (Erlanger, KY), $1,248,201
Louisiana
Veteran player Keith Lehr recently moved to the top spot in Louisiana, thanks to his performance on the PokerGO Tour. Spencer Champlin, Matt Woodward, and Leonard Cortellino complete the top three.
- Keith Lehr (Bossier, LA), $5,439,691
- Kevin Eyster (Lafayette, LA), $5,411,831
- Brandon Adams (New Orleans, LA), $5,411,232
Maine
New names dominate the top of Maine's leaderboard. Only Spencer Champlin, Matt Woodward, and Leonard Cortellino have over a seven-figure earning in their careers.
- Spencer Champlin (Scarborough, ME), $3,968,405
- Matt Woodward (Waterboro, ME), $2,661,177
- Leonard Cortellino (Lewiston, ME), $1,582,527
Maryland
Anthony Gregg leads Maryland, with his WPT title and WSOP One Drop bracelet boosting his career earnings past the $12 million mark. Greg Merson, the 2012 WSOP Main Event champion, trails behind.
- Anthony Gregg (Columbia, MD), $12,062,895
- Greg Merson (Laurel, MD), $11,484,627
- Christian Harder (Annapolis, MD), $6,413,192
That's twenty states Down, with forty more to go! Come back next time to discover who your state's all-time money leaders are.
- In the realm of poker, the 2025 World Series of Poker is approaching, and Poker News Daily is excited to reveal the big earners in each state.
- In Iowa, Alex Condon, a native of Sioux City, is the current leader with a career earnings of $2,351,516, followed closely by Shiva Dudani and Dustin Dirksen.
- In Kansas, Brandon Steven, hailing from Wichita, has the highest earnings at $6,844,176, but Maxx Coleman, also from Kansas, is quickly closing the gap.
- Kurt Jewell, a resident of Frankfort, Kentucky, leads the Bluegrass State with $2,757,518, although Charlie Dawson, from Owensboro, can boast a WSOP online bracelet and five WSOP Circuit rings.
- In Louisiana, Keith Lehr, who resides in Bossier, currently tops the state with earnings of $5,439,691, followed by Kevin Eyster and Brandon Adams.
- In Maine, only Spencer Champlin, Matt Woodward, and Leonard Cortellino have over a million dollars in earnings, with Champlin holding the lead.
- In Maryland, Anthony Gregg, a resident of Columbia, is the current leader with career earnings of $12,062,895, trailed closely by Greg Merson, the 2012 WSOP Main Event champion.
