Calvin Anderson

Who Is Calvin Anderson?

Calvin Anderson is an American professional poker player from Oklahoma, now based in Las Vegas. He is one of the most complete tournament players of his generation. He holds eight World Series of Poker bracelets and more than $8.2 million in live tournament earnings.

Ask ten poker fans what Anderson is known for and you will get different answers. Online regulars remember “cal42688,” a former world No. 1 who set the record for SCOOP titles on PokerStars. Mixed-game players know him as the man with two $10,000 Razz Championship titles. Others remember him beating more than 10,000 players to win the 2023 WPT Prime Championship for nearly $1.4 million.

All three are the same quiet, low-profile pro. This page brings his whole career into one place and is updated whenever he records a major new result.

Quick Player Facts

Biography: From Online No. 1 to Eight-Time Champion

The online years

Anderson built his name on the internet before most fans knew his face. Playing as “cal42688,” he became one of the most feared online tournament grinders in the world. According to PocketFives, he was ranked the world’s No. 1 online tournament player eight separate times.

His most famous online record came on PokerStars. By May 2018 he had won 10 Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) titles, more than anyone else at the time. In interviews he has said that chasing the No. 1 ranking mattered to him early in his career, but that the goal lost its pull once he reached it.

Early live results (2009–2013)

His first recorded live cash came in 2009, a sixth-place finish in a small shootout event at EPT London worth $2,468. Two years later he made a deep run in the 2011 PCA $10,000 Main Event in the Bahamas, finishing 14th for $115,000. In 2013 he added a 10th-place finish at EPT Berlin for €56,000.

First bracelet and a near miss (2014–2016)

The 2014 WSOP was his breakthrough. He won the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event for $190,538, his first bracelet. That same summer he finished third in the $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo Championship for $136,490. He also finished runner-up in the EPT Monte Carlo FPS High Roller for $134,437.

In 2016 he came within one opponent of a second bracelet. Out of 4,360 entries in the $1,111 Little One for One Drop, he reached heads-up against Sweden’s Michael Tureniec and finished second for $324,597.

The Razz title and steady results (2018–2022)

Bracelet number two arrived in 2018, when Anderson won the $10,000 Razz Championship for $309,220. Over the next few years he kept appearing deep in mixed-game events. Highlights include sixth in the 2019 $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship, third in the 2022 $1,500 Razz, and second in a 2022 online $3,200 High Roller for $202,627.

A career-changing 2023

In 2023 he won two WSOP Online bracelets on WSOP.com. The first came in the $1,000 PLO 6-Max for $49,782, and the second in the $5,300 NLH Super High Roller 6-Max for $141,400.

Then, in December, came the biggest score of his life. He won the $1,100 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, the largest field in WPT history, for $1,386,280. He later said it was his first million-dollar score and that winning it in a low buy-in event made it extra special.

Five bracelets and a deep 2024

At the 2024 WSOP, Anderson finished second in the $10,000 Big O Championship for $454,668 and third in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship for $197,582. He then won the $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship for $413,446, his fifth bracelet.

The record summer of 2026

The 2026 WSOP was the best of his career. He won the 10,000RazzChampionshipforasecondtime(357,026), then the 10,000H.O.R.S.E.Championshipjustdayslater(413,580). Few players have won back-to-back $10,000 championship events in the same week.

He also finished third in the $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Championship for $445,268. Then on September 28, 2026, he won the $777 Lucky 7’s on WSOP Online for $48,914 and his eighth bracelet. He played part of that event on his phone at a Las Vegas casino before finishing it on his laptop at home.

Calvin Anderson WSOP Bracelet Wins

This is the core record of his career. Five bracelets came live in Las Vegas and three came online.

Total from bracelet wins: $1,923,906. The five live bracelets account for $1,683,810 of that.

Calvin Anderson’s Top Five Live Cashes

These are ranked by prize amount, not by date.

Just outside the top five sit his 2026 Razz Championship win (357,026),his2016LittleOneforOneDroprunner-upfinish(324,597) and his 2018 Razz Championship win ($309,220).

Note: Some databases list the WPT Prime prize as $1,388,280. The official WPT figure is $1,386,280, which includes a $10,400 seat into the following year’s WPT World Championship.

Calvin Anderson Poker Career Timeline

•           2009 – First recorded live cash at EPT London

•           2011 – 14th place in the PCA $10,000 Main Event for $115,000

•           2014 – First WSOP bracelet in $1,500 Stud Hi-Lo; runner-up in EPT Monte Carlo FPS High Roller

•           2016 – Runner-up in the Little One for One Drop (4,360 entries) for $324,597

•           2018 – Second bracelet in the $10,000 Razz Championship; record 10th SCOOP title online

•           2023 – Two WSOP Online bracelets; wins record-field WPT Prime Championship for $1.38 million

•           2024 – Fifth bracelet in the $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship; runner-up in $10,000 Big O

•           2026 – Sixth bracelet (10,000Razz),seventh(10,000 H.O.R.S.E.), third in $10,000 6-Max

•           Sept 28, 2026 – Eighth bracelet in WSOP Online $777 Lucky 7’s

Calvin Anderson at the WSOP

The WSOP is where Anderson’s career stands out most. Eight bracelets puts him in a group of only 12 players in history who have reached that total. His wins cover six different formats: Stud Hi-Lo, Razz, H.O.R.S.E., Eight Game Mix, Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Hold’em.

That range is the most impressive thing about his record. Most multi-bracelet winners have one or two “home” games. Anderson has won in stud games, flop games, mixed rotations and big-field hold’em, both live and online.

His WSOP near misses tell the same story. Beyond his wins, he has finished second in the $10,000 Big O Championship (2024), the Little One for One Drop (2016) and the $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo (2025, $165,447). He has also reached third place in the $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo, Omaha Hi-Lo and 6-Handed NLH Championships.

Calvin Anderson and Razz

If one game defines Anderson, it is Razz. Razz is seven-card stud played for the lowest hand, where the best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5. It rewards patience, card memory and reading what your opponents’ exposed cards say about their chances.

Anderson has won the $10,000 Razz Championship twice, in 2018 and 2026. After his 2026 win, PokerNews described him as the winningest Razz player in WSOP history. In that 2026 event he beat 155 entries, and he held the chip lead going into the final day.

His Razz record goes deeper than the two titles:

Razz is often mocked as a “boring” game, and Anderson has joked about that himself. But the players who take it seriously know how small edges add up across thousands of hands. His results suggest he has found more of those edges than anyone.

Calvin Anderson in Mixed Games

Anderson is not a No-Limit specialist who dabbles in other games. He is a true mixed-game player who also happens to be excellent at hold’em.

His mixed-game titles include the 2014 $1,500 Stud Hi-Lo, the 2024 $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship and the 2026 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. In that H.O.R.S.E. final he beat seven-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh heads-up after a three-handed battle that lasted close to five hours.

In his post-win interview, Anderson explained his approach. He studies which games each opponent is weakest in, then tries to win his chips in those games while avoiding opponents in their strongest ones. It is a simple idea, but it takes years of experience to apply under pressure.

Other strong mixed-game finishes include third in the 2023 3,000H.O.R.S.E.(89,169) and sixth in the 2019 10,000Limit2-7TripleDrawChampionship(42,898).

Calvin Anderson Online Poker Career

Before the live titles, there was “cal42688.” Anderson is one of the most successful online tournament players ever. He held the PocketFives No. 1 ranking eight times and set the SCOOP record with 10 titles by 2018.

His online success has continued on WSOP.com in the US. He has three WSOP Online bracelets: the 2023 $1,000 PLO 6-Max, the 2023 $5,300 NLH Super High Roller 6-Max and the 2026 $777 Lucky 7’s. He also finished second in a 2022 online $3,200 NLH High Roller for $202,627.

For readers who play online, his 2026 Lucky 7’s win is a useful example. He played the long, low-pressure early levels on his phone and then switched to a laptop for the final table, when decisions carry more money.

Calvin Anderson at the WPT

Anderson’s biggest live score came on the World Poker Tour. In December 2023, he won the $1,100 WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

He led the field after Day 2 with 128 players left. The most talked-about hand came three-handed against Jay Lu. Anderson called a big check-raise holding only five-high, picked up a straight draw on the turn and hit a seven on the river for a runner-runner straight. He then beat Pinson heads-up with queen-seven against king-queen when the board brought two sevens.

Calvin Anderson at the EPT and PCA

Anderson’s international résumé is shorter but strong:

Calvin Anderson’s Recent Poker Results

This table is updated after every notable result. Newest results are listed first.

Calvin Anderson Career Stats at a Glance

•           WSOP bracelets: 8 (5 live, 3 online)

•           Live tournament earnings: about $8.2 million

•           Biggest single cash: $1,386,280 (2023 WPT Prime Championship)

•           $10,000 Championship titles: 4 (Razz twice, Eight Game Mix, H.O.R.S.E.)

•           Seven-figure scores: 1

•           Online records: 10 SCOOP titles; eight-time PocketFives No. 1

Calvin Anderson’s Playing Style and Approach

We prefer to describe Anderson’s style through what he has said and done, rather than labels.

He picks his spots. Anderson has said he skips many events and plays the tournaments he feels strongest in and most excited about. He did not chase the 2026 Player of the Year race, yet still had his best summer ever.

He adapts to opponents. In mixed games he targets players in their weaker games and avoids them in their stronger ones. This is a practical lesson for any player at a mixed table.

He protects his stamina. He has said he does not drink, eats clean and takes supplements to stay sharp through long final tables. Some of his biggest wins came after marathon sessions, so this matters.

He stays calm. Whether facing a 10,000-player field or a three-handed Razz battle, he rarely shows emotion. Online fans saw the same steady approach for years under the “cal42688” name.

Calvin Anderson’s Biggest Achievements

•           Eight WSOP bracelets, joining a group of only 12 players in history

•           Two $10,000 Razz Championship titles, the best Razz record in WSOP history

•           Back-to-back $10,000 Razz and H.O.R.S.E. Championship wins in June 2026

•           2023 WPT Prime Championship win in a record field of 10,512

•           Three WSOP Online bracelets

•           Former No. 1-ranked online tournament player and SCOOP record holder

•           Runner-up in the 2014 EPT Monte Carlo FPS High Roller and the 2016 Little One for One Drop

Latest Calvin Anderson News on PokerClubGames

•           Calvin Anderson Wins Eighth WSOP Bracelet From a Slot Machine Seat — the story of his $777 Lucky 7’s win on WSOP Online, with full final table results.

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