Joe Cada still gets all the cards. 

The Michigan native, born in 1987, exploded on to the world’s poker scene when he became the youngest winner of the famed World Series of Poker in 2009 at 21 years, 11 months.

He’s used his acumen to become one of greatest online poker players in Michigan history with a net worth listed as anywhere between $12-$15 million. He’s now the owner of four WSOP bracelets, still active on the poker tour and a true star in the game.

Once derided as a flash in the pan, Cada has weathered adversity and challenges to become one of the world’s most respected and successful players. His poker winnings of over $14.2 million have him ranked in the top 100 for all-time winnings by Poker.com and TheHendonmob.

Even with those assets, his home is modest. His style is unassuming.

“I don’t think I’m frugal, it’s just that I’m not into material things,” Cada told Hour Detroit in a long interview in 2019. “I still wear these clothes that I had in high school. I won a few million last year and I didn’t buy a new car. I just don’t feel right going out and buying a $100,000 car or something super expensive when my family is working hard. It seems like a waste.”

The First Deal

Cada’s mother worked at the MotorCity Casino in Detroit and his father worked in the automobile industry, so he had a knack for numbers and seeing how things all fit together.

He started playing poker online when he was 16, creating his first account with Party Poker, and then played in-person in nearby Canadian casinos because the age limit there was 19. He was a professional online poker player before people even knew what that was, and before the activity was legal in most states.

He and some poker friends rented a house in Las Vegas in 2009. The plan was to buy in to the World Series of Poker.

Life Changing WSOP in 2009

Cada was just another name in the 6,494-player field for the 2009 World Series of Poker. He had on a backwards hat, some ragged Michigan Wolverines apparel to wear and a dream.

Slowly, Cada moved through the field. He demonstrated an uncanny ability for knowing when to let hands play out, and when to step back. He wasn’t – and still isn’t – a flashy player, just calm, measured and balanced.

Cada reached the final table at the WSOP and survived the ups and downs of the day. Poker fans will never forget his amazing win with pocket 2s on the last day. That final table included poker mainstays Phil Ivey and Jeff Shulman. Cada beat Darvin Moon head-to-head to win the title and over $8.5 million in prize money.

“I ran good, played fundamentally sound, wasn’t trying to get too creative,” Cada told PokerStars after his win.

A new poker star was born.

The Cada Style

After winning the WSOP, Cada became a national figure, but his humble style didn’t play well. He did the David Letterman Show, but came off shy (remember, he was only 22 at the time).

He was just a kid who loved playing poker. 

20-hour sessions online weren’t unusual. It was the spot where he found peace and contentment. Yet when you win big as a young person in America, the pressure is on to prove it was not a fluke. Cada was determined to show his win in 2009 was just the start.

Back at the Final Table

Cada hit a good run of cards in the summer of 2018. He finished ninth in the $10,00 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo Bounty to claim WSOP bracelet No. 2. The next day he signed up for the No-Limit Hold’em Shootout and took home bracelet No. 3.

The stage was set for Cada to make a run in the big one: the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Again showing a cool, calculated style, Cada made the final table in 2018, the first former champ to get back to the final table in over 10 years. Eventually, his luck turned cold and he finished fifth.

“I couldn’t have felt any better busting the Main,” Cada told Pokernews at the time. “I had my run in 2009; I ran really good at that final table. I just thought ‘hey, I’m due to lose one of these,’ and these are all good guys – it’s their time. Plus I could have been out earlier many times so you just shrug off the last one.”

Behind the Cards

Cada continues to play poker on the WSOP circuit and online regularly. He was seventh in the 2022 WSOP 6-handed No-Limit Hold’em event collecting over $61,000 and continues to add to his earnings list.

Away from the table, he’s led a largely private life. He hasn’t tweeted since 2017. He launched a Poker and Sports Grill near his home in Sterling Heights, Michigan in 2011, but the restaurant closed after being investigated for improper dealings.

In the poker world, Cada is still young and if he maintains this level of success, he could be known as the most successful player in the world.

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