Bruce Van Horn, a part-time professional poker player, is a pathologist from Ada, Oklahoma. Though he has established himself in the poker world, he takes his profession as a doctor seriously. Bruce Van Horn took to poker in his college days and played with the former World Champion Bobby Baldwin in the early 70s.
Way back in May 1990, in the 21st Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), Event 11 - Pot-Limit Omaha, Bruce Van Horn made an impressive fifth- place finish. He also took part in Event #8 - WSOP Pot-Limit Omaha at the same tournament and won $2,835 for his eleventh-place finish. He took a break in his poker career and came back with a bang in the year 1996 when he made a second place finish while playing against Huck Seed in the 27th Annual World Series of Poker, Event 25 – No-Limit Hold’em and won $585,000 in prize money. His fourth-place finish in Event #3 - WSOP Limit Omaha at the WSOP 1996 earned him $17,940 as cash prize.
His success graph has seen a gradual growth, ever since he started playing live tournaments. In 2003, Bruce Van Horn finished fifth in Event #2 - WPO Limit Hold'em of the Jack Binion World Poker Open 4th Year – World Poker Tour (WPT) Season 1 and bagged $14,885. He also participated in the Pre-St. Patrick’s Day tournament’s Limit Hold'em event and won the runner-up title. In April 2003, Bruce Van Horn finished third in the 34th Annual World Series of Poker, Event 5 - No-Limit Hold'em to claim the second runner-up title and $71,920 was added to his bankroll. Between 2003 and 2006, Bruce Van Horn made his appearance in most of the WSOP events and WPT events besides other online tournaments.
Dealing with patients and their maladies with composure in his capacity as a doctor, has taught Bruce Van Horn to be calm at the poker tables and also judge his opponent’s moves with accuracy. He placed sixth in the 38th Annual World Series of Poker - Pot-Limit Hold'em (Event 4) in 2007. The 38th Annual World Series of Poker, Event 27 - No-Limit Hold'em in 2007 added $15,800 to his bankroll.
Recently in 2008, Bruce Van Horn earned himself a $2,000 seat at the final event in the Winstar World Championship Series (WWCS) with his victory in a satellite tournament. In the game, Bruce Van Horn spent fourteen hours in head to head play with an amateur at the Southern Oklahoma casino. The satellite victory won him prize money worth $5,000 in addition to his seat at the $3 million guaranteed WWCS final.
Besides practicing medicine at the Valley View Regional Hospital and playing poker, Bruce Van Horn spends his leisure time fishing or teaching strategies of poker to his younger son, Archie, who is a budding poker star in his own right. As of 2008, Bruce Van Horn has earned total live tournament winnings exceeding $850,000 in 27 cash games.
