Allen Cunningham
Player Information:
- Name: Allen Cunningham
- Nickname(s): n/a
- Date of Birth: 1977
- Place of Birth: Riverside, CA
- Currently Resides: Marina Del Ray, CA
- Favorite Poker Game(s): No Limit Hold'em
- Personal Web Site(s): n/a
- Favorite Online Poker Site(s): n/a
- Online Poker Name(s): n/a
Biography:
Allen Cunningham was just 12 years old when he realized how much skill is required to play poker. One night, while he was playing in a home game with his Parents and his Sister. He came to understand how 'vastly superior' he was to his three opponents. "I couldn't wait until I was old enough to play for real money in Vegas", Allen thought.
His first experience playing for real money happened about four years later at Summer Camp. Allen was playing in a Five Card Draw game with threes being wild. He had three Kings and called off all his chips only to have his opponent show Five of a kind, using 3 threes. Allen says that experience taught him how much he hated losing at gambling.
Allen started playing serious poker when he was a 19 year old UCLA student. He played at the Indian Casinos and started hearing about all the Big Tournaments around.
Allen said when he first got hooked on Poker it wasn't because he was a lucky beginner and was winnnig, it was actually the opposite. He would lose, and want to learn and try harder so he could eventually win.
Cunningham prefers No Limit, but he is also accomplished in many other Poker games. In 1999 Allen won 6 major tournaments and was named "All Around Best Player". That's when he decided not to return to UCLA, because of how lucrative his Poker was becoming.
Cunningham recently won the $1500 NL 2005 WSOP Tournament.
In one of the shortest heads-up matches in the history of the World Series of Poker, Southern California-based poker professional Allen Cunningham won the third WSOP bracelet of his career by defeating Scott Fischman of Las Vegas after just two hands of heads-up play in the $1500 buy-in No Limit Hold'em event.
Besides winning the coveted gold bracelet, Cunningham collected the first prize of $725,405, which was the largest first prize ever for a WSOP preliminary event.
On Hand 140 with blinds at 15000-30000, Fischman limped in from the button and Cunningham checked from the big blind. On a flop of Th 6c 3s, Fischman bet 40000, Cunningham raised to 120000, and Fischman called.
"I thought (Fischman) either had top pair or an open-ended straight draw, both of which I could beat," said Cunningham to ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad after the tournament.
Fischman checked the turn card of 4d, Cunningham bet 250000, Fischman moved all-in for over 1 million chips. Cunningham thought for about two minutes before calling.
Cunningham turned over 6h 3h for two-pair, while Fischman turned over 5c 4h for one pair with an open-ended straight draw. Fischman was eliminated when the Ac hit the board on the river.
Notable Poker Accomplishments:
| Place | Date | Entry | Game Type | Tournament Name | Location | Amount Won |
| 1st | 07/05 | $1500 | No Limit Hold'em | WSOP | Las Vegas | $725,405 |
| 2nd | 06/04 | $3,000 | No Limit Hold'em | WSOP | Las Vegas | $74,920 |
| 1st | 04/04 | $5,000 | No Limit Hold'em | Bellagio Five-Star World Poker Classic/WPT Championship | Las Vegas | $111,494 |
| 1st | 09/03 | $1,000 | No Limit Hold'em | United States Poker Championship | Atlantic City | $63,180 |
| 1st | 05/02 | $5,000 | Deuce to Seven No-Limit | WSOP | Las Vegas | $160,200 |