There are many players in the poker game who have made their names in the business world before getting into poker, and Cary Katz is one of them. Katz has earned more than $40 million in poker by playing it as a hobby.
A game that started as a hobby turned into a passion for the businessman. In this report, we will get into the life of Cary Katz, his venture PokerGO, and his poker success and net worth.
Who is Cary Katz?
Cary Katz is a well-known American businessman and a high-stakes poker player with more than $40 million in live poker tournament earnings. In 2015, he founded Poker Central, a poker-based service that operates one of the biggest poker streaming platforms “PokerGo.”
Besides this, he also founded a Student Loan Company, which provides loans to students in the United States. Thus, Katz has made a significant impact in the poker and business world.
Cary Katz’s Early Life and Education
Cary Katz was born on January 29, 1970, in the United States. Katz comes from an influential family in the student loan industry. His father, Marcus Katz, was a pioneer in the student loan industry.
From childhood, Katz was good at studying and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. He started the College Loan Corporation in 1999 and served as the CEO for 15 years. The firm was the seventh-largest student loan company in the United States that provided more than $19 Billion in loans.
Cary Katz’s Silent Success in Poker
Cary Katz’s grandmother played an important role in fostering Katz’s poker skills. He learned poker from his grandmother and used to play poker as a pastime. His journey in live tournaments began in the 2000s and he won his first cash in 2004 when he finished 24th in the United States the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship for a cool $10,381.
Katz saw poker as a hobby, so he wasn’t very serious about it. After 2004, he participated in some low-stakes Hold’em events, in which he couldn’t even cross $40k. In 2009, he placed 159th in the World Series of Poker Main Event for $40,288.
After four years, in 2013, the Georgia businessman scored his first six-figure score of $543,800 in the $100k Super High Roller event at the PCA.
That same year, he came close to securing his first bracelet in the $5k PLO event but finished in 2nd place for $138,794. It was at that time that Katz started taking poker seriously.
In February 2014, Katz won two $25k NLHE High Rollers at the Bellagio High Roller, earning more than $380k. That same year, he finished 8th in the $1 million NLHE at the WSOP for his first seven-figure score of $,306,667.
Two years later, in that same event, but in WSOP’s 2016 Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza, Katz finished 5th for $1,929,203.
In 2018, Cary Katz defeated Justin Bonomo in the heads-up to claim his first major poker title in the $100k Super High Roller event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for a staggering top prize of $1,492,340.
In July 2018, Katz finished 2nd place in Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Jeju’s $1 million NLHE event, earning $1,773,722. The next year, in Melbourne, Katz took down the A$100K NLHE event for a top prize of $1,074,908 at the 2019 Aussie Millions.
In 2019, he went on to win the €250,000 Super High Roller event at the Super High Roller Bowl, London, to win his biggest ever top prize of $2,610,317.
Talking about his recent wins in 2023, Katz again came close to claiming his first WSOP bracelet but had to settle for a six-figure score of $1,592,539 in the $100K NLHE High Roller.
Cary Katz began this year with a 1st place finish in the $10k NLHE for $226,800 at the 2024 PGT PokerGo Cup. He then made several deep finishes, including a 12th finish for $121,768 in the $50k PLO High Roller event at the WSOP 2024 where he cashed several events.
Cary Katz’s Net Worth In 2024
Cary Katz has made over $40,329,477 from live poker tournaments and currently sits in 15th on the Hendon Mob’s All-Time Money List. The $40 million poker earnings are just a fraction of what Katz’s net worth is.
Cary Katz’s net worth is estimated to be more than $100 million. Aside from playing poker, Katz owns many business ventures like PokerGo and College Loan Corporation and has also invested in multiple businesses. As per reports, he has made over a billion dollars from his College Loan Corporation.
Cary Katz’s Philanthropy
Cary Katz is not just accumulating wealth and he also believes in giving back to the society. He founded St. Gabriel Catholic School and was its president. He also serves as the chairperson of a non-profit organization, Stop Child Predators. An organization that helps protect children.
Cary Katz’s Family & Personal Life
Cary Katz is married to Jackie Katz, and they have six children together. The couple currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. From which Katz handles his poker business. He maintains a private life and enjoys a lifestyle that reflects his success and wealth.
Keep following PokerProNews for such inspiring stories of businessmen and poker players!
