Ted Forrest
Encyclopedia
Ted Forrest is an American
professional poker
player, currently residing in Las Vegas
, Nevada
.
(WSOP). After the mid-1990s, Forrest turned his attention full time to cash games. He made a triumphant return to the WSOP by winning 2 bracelets at the 2004 WSOP. Since then he has moved his focus from seven card stud to hold 'em with some success, including reaching 5 final tables on the World Poker Tour
and winning a championship on the Professional Poker Tour
.
Forrest competed in the second season of Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
, where he advanced to the quarter-final stage. He did not fare as well in season three, being mathematically eliminated early in the preliminaries. He played in the first two seasons of the GSN
series High Stakes Poker
.
In March 2006, Forrest won the annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship
, defeating (in order) Erik Seidel
, Chad Brown
, Ernie Dureck, Sam Farha
, Shahram Sheikhan
and Chris Ferguson
to win the $500,000 first prize.
Continuing with his history of tournament success, in March 2007 Ted won the Bay 101 Shooting Stars Tournament, outlasting J. J. Liu
in the longest heads up duel in World Poker Tour
history. For the victory, Forrest collected the first prize of $1,100,000.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,725,000. His 22 cashes as the WSOP account for $1,604,057 of those winnings.
in a series of very high limit, heads-up, Texas Holdem games, with limits ranging anywhere from $20,000/$40,000 to $100,000/$200,000.
Forrest's first three bracelets were stolen. He gave one of the remaining two to his daughter; and has the other locked away. Ted also owns one WSOP championship bracelet that formerly belonged to Hamid Dastmalchi
, which he purchased from Dastmalchi after he (Dastmalchi) complained that the bracelet wasn't worth what the Binion family claimed. Hamid told him, “They say it’s worth $5,000, but I’d take $1,500 for it” to which Forrest replied "Sold" and tossed him three $500 chips.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, currently residing in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Tournament Wins
Forrest won three bracelets at the 1993 World Series of Poker1993 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 220 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....
(WSOP). After the mid-1990s, Forrest turned his attention full time to cash games. He made a triumphant return to the WSOP by winning 2 bracelets at the 2004 WSOP. Since then he has moved his focus from seven card stud to hold 'em with some success, including reaching 5 final tables on the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
and winning a championship on the Professional Poker Tour
Professional Poker Tour
The Professional Poker Tour was a series of televised poker tournaments, spinning off from the World Poker Tour television series. It billed itself as the first professional poker league, and was limited to players who have established themselves on the World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker,...
.
Forrest competed in the second season of Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
The Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament is a series of no limit Texas hold 'em poker tournaments. The first season is available on NTSC DVD. It airs on Fox Sports Net in the United States, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and ftn in the United Kingdom.-Crew:...
, where he advanced to the quarter-final stage. He did not fare as well in season three, being mathematically eliminated early in the preliminaries. He played in the first two seasons of the GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
series High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. The poker variant played on the show is no limit Texas hold 'em. It premiered on January 16, 2006 and ended on December 17, 2007 and it returns back on March 1, 2009 and is...
.
In March 2006, Forrest won the annual National Heads-Up Poker Championship
National Heads-Up Poker Championship
-2006:- 2007 :-2008:In additional to the poker professionals, several poker-playing celebrities from other fields were invited: Gabe Kaplan, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander and Orel Hershiser. Also invited was Alisha Kunze of Greensburg, Indiana, who won her seat...
, defeating (in order) Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.In 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
, Chad Brown
Chad Brown (poker player)
Chad Lewis Brown is an American actor, poker player and color commentator, based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life & acting career:...
, Ernie Dureck, Sam Farha
Sam Farha
Ihsan Farha is a professional poker player. He is best known for finishing as runner up in the World Series of Poker main event in 2003 and has won three bracelets at the WSOP.-Early years:...
, Shahram Sheikhan
Shahram Sheikhan
Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan is a professional poker player who currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and daughter. Sheikhan is the owner of a retail chain of tobacco and tattoo stores....
and Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
to win the $500,000 first prize.
Continuing with his history of tournament success, in March 2007 Ted won the Bay 101 Shooting Stars Tournament, outlasting J. J. Liu
J. J. Liu
Joanne Jishung Liu is a professional poker player from Palo Alto, California. She is the highest placing female in a World Poker Tour Championship event, finishing runner-up to Ted Forrest at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Stars in 2007.As of 2008, her total live tournament winnings exceed $1,700,000...
in the longest heads up duel in World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
history. For the victory, Forrest collected the first prize of $1,100,000.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,725,000. His 22 cashes as the WSOP account for $1,604,057 of those winnings.
Strategy Differentiation
Forrest's no-limit Texas hold 'em strategy vastly differs from that of many other established pros who believe that pre-flop one should always raise or fold, Forrest has repeatedly stated and demonstrated in his play, that limping, or simply calling a raise, is not a bad play and should be frequently employed.Andy Beal Showdown
Forrest is well known as a competitive high stakes gambler. He has been a key part of a consortium of poker players who pooled their money together to play Texas billionaire Andy BealAndrew Beal
D. Andrew "Andy" Beal is a Dallas, Texas-based billionaire businessman who was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. He made his fortune in banking and real estate and is the founder and chairman of Beal Bank and Beal Aerospace Technologies. Beal is also known for his high-stakes poker games and...
in a series of very high limit, heads-up, Texas Holdem games, with limits ranging anywhere from $20,000/$40,000 to $100,000/$200,000.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 1993 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 220 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.... |
$1,500 Seven Card Razz | $78,400 |
| 1993 | $1,500 Omaha 8 or better | $120,000 |
| 1993 | $5,000 Seven Card Stud | $114,000 |
| 2004 2004 World Series of Poker The 2004 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe after Harrah's Entertainment purchased the casino and the rights to the tournament in January... |
$1,500 Seven Card Stud | $111,440 |
| 2004 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | $300,300 |
Forrest's first three bracelets were stolen. He gave one of the remaining two to his daughter; and has the other locked away. Ted also owns one WSOP championship bracelet that formerly belonged to Hamid Dastmalchi
Hamid Dastmalchi
Hamid Reza Dastmalchi is an Iranian-American professional poker player.Dastmalchi won the 1992 World Series of Poker main event, which is his largest tournament win at $1 million...
, which he purchased from Dastmalchi after he (Dastmalchi) complained that the bracelet wasn't worth what the Binion family claimed. Hamid told him, “They say it’s worth $5,000, but I’d take $1,500 for it” to which Forrest replied "Sold" and tossed him three $500 chips.