Blaz Zerjav, a name which isn’t very much popular in the live scene. However, the Slovenia pro is a big name in the online poker world. Famously known for turning $5 into $1 million, this young gun has cemented his position among the online elite poker players.
In this rising star report, will delve into the journey of Blaz Zerjav, who started his poker journey from low-stakes and soon competed against the finest online poker players.
Blaz Zerjav Poker Journey and Early Life
Although there aren’t any official reports on when Zerjav began playing, it looks like he began playing poker in his early 20s. He was just 23 years-old when he rose to fame in the online poker world for finishing 4th in the 2020 WPT Online Championship for a career-defining $552,006.
Before taking up poker professionally, Zerjav was a professional football player. He left football because of unknown reasons and began spending more time playing poker. One of his significant poker career milestones came in 2018 when he won a whopping $1.3 million after finishing 3rd in the Partypoker’s MILLIONS Event.
The event’s buy-in was way out of league for the youngster, however, he was able to qualify for it through satellites. He started from a $5 buy-in, playing satellites eventually getting a shot at the prestigious event. He was just 21-year-old at that time.
On his deep run in the PartyPoker MILLIONS, Zerjav explained, “It was never about passing the time. Whenever I play poker, I give it my all with the goal of winning. I knew the odds of making it through all the satellites were low, but the chance to play in the Millions event made it worth the attempt.”
Zerjav had no idea then that he would soon be playing at the final table. “My main focus was to stay present and perform at my best. Even if I had been knocked out on Day 1, I wouldn’t have been too hard on myself as long as I knew I gave it everything. By Day 2, my goal was simply to make the money, which already felt like a dream come true. From that moment on, every pay jump was just the cherry on top,” he said.
Blaz Zerjav’s Live Poker Journey
The online poker superstar began his live poker journey in 2019 at 22. He ran deep in the ISOP Italian Championship Opening Event, collecting $1,063. The player then traveled to Las Vegas, hoping to secure a bracelet. Although he cashed in eight WSOP events, he wasn’t able to win the bracelet.
He continued his top-notch poker play, making deep runs and cashing in prestigious series such as the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour. A significant milestone in his career came when he finished 4th in the 2020 WPT Online World Championship, securing his first recorded live six-figure cash of $552,006. The following year, he reached the final table at the EPT London $2K NLH Mystery Bounty, finishing 7th and collecting $27,373. A year later, Zerjav claimed his first EPT title, winning the EPT Cyprus $550 Mixed Game Event for $4,920.
In February 2024, the former football player came close to winning an EPT Main Event. However, he had to settle for the runner-up position after finishing 2nd in the EPT Paris Main Event for another six-figure score of $316,484. He followed it up by securing his second career EPT title, winning the $2,200 NLH DeepStack for $153,380. Just as he started the year in style, Zerjav also concluded it impressively, finishing 2nd in the 2024 WSOP Paradise $5,300 NLH DeepStack for a six-figure payout of $225,070.
Some of his latest cashes in 2025 include a victory at the Kings of Tallinn $200 PLO Razz and a 7th-place finish in the $3,000 NLH 6-Handed event for $8,978.
Blaz Zerjav currently ranks third on Slovenia’s all-time money list with over $1 million in live earnings and continues to make deep runs in live events. Seeing his form over the last six to eight months and his determination toward the game, he is one the way to becoming the next big thing in poker. We wish him all the best ahead.
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