Alex Jacob, a promising American professional poker player, was born on October 27, 1984 in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Yale University in May 2006 with a degree in mathematics and economics. He got his nickname Mr. Fro Poker from his trademark Afro and decided to use it as his blog’s name. Alex Jacob was known as an Internet Guru because he became famous by playing online poker; however, he now enjoys playing live tournaments. He credits his success to his family, friends, teachers, and his fiancée, Jennifer Liebig.
Though Alex Jacob began playing poker in high school, he started taking it seriously only after joining Yale University. He played regularly in the Trumbull College No-Limit Hold’em games in order to improve his skills. His first major poker accomplishment came in 2003 when he won the Yale University Peter A. Fabrizio Memorial Poker Classic. In 2004, James McManus, a professional poker player and author of the book Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion’s World Series of Poker, played poker with Alex Jacob at Yale and immediately recognized his talent.
Alex Jacob had his first breakthrough in November 2005 when he earned $27,600 and finished 26th at the World Poker Finals of the World Poker Tour in the No-Limit Hold’em event. At the Foxwoods Poker Classic WPT Event Season 4 No-Limit Hold’em Championship in April 2006, he made it to second place and bagged $655,507. He added another $4,582 to his total live poker earnings in July 2006, when he secured 32nd place at the 37th Annual World Series of Poker in Event #7 Limit Hold’em. Alex Jacob also walked away in first place with $878,500 in cash, one of his most impressive wins, at the United States Poker Championship Poker Pages Ranking in the No-Limit Hold’em event during October 2006.
He started the 2007 season with a bang by winning the Ultimate Poker Challenge No-Limit Hold’em Championship UPC and took home the $105,380 prize in mid-March. Alex Jacob made $282,367 by finishing third at the 38th Annual World Series of Poker Event #3 No-Limit Hold’em in June 2007. In the same month, he managed to secure 58th place and collected $10,394 at the 38th Annual WSOP from Event #22 No Limit Hold’em. After playing in Event #38 No Limit Hold’em at the same tournament, he pocketed an additional $5,309.
Alex Jacob has been regularly winning in many 2008 events as well, beginning with the 39th WSOP Event #5 No Limit Hold’em, where he won $13,602 and finished 31st. He earned $21,657 by ranking 24th in the 39th WSOP during Event #25 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em World Championship in June 2008. He came in eleventh place with a brilliant performance at the 39th WSOP Event #46 No Limit Hold’em Six Handed in June 2008 and earned $45,023. His total live tournament winnings exceed $2,200,000, as of the year 2008.
Alex Jacob is noted not only for his peculiar hairstyle, but also for his humility. It is his graciousness, even after all his success, that sets him apart from other poker professionals. As a first step towards realizing his dreams of setting up his own poker website, Alex Jacob has secured the rights to the domain name AlexJacobPoker.com. In the future, he also hopes to study business.
