Benjamin "Ben" Lamb is an American poker player from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lamb won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 2011, the same year he was named Player of the Year having made four other final tables.
That same year he would also reach the final table of the WSOP Main Event, finishing fourth for over $4 million. In 2017, he would again make the WSOP Main Event final table, but would fall in ninth place.
Lamb won his second bracelet in 2023 in the the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.
Background
Born in 1985, Lamb started playing poker as soon as he turned 18. Before becoming a professional poker player Lamb attended Jenks High School in his hometown of Tulsa in Oklahoma. He graduated in 2004 and then studied at the Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas for a little while. As many poker pros Lamb soon dropped out of the University to pursuit his poker career. Lamb also worked as a dealer at the Cherokee Casino in Tulsa.
Lamb won three live events in 2006 including the United States Poker Championship $500 No Limit Hold 'em event for $60,000. This was the first year he cashed at the WSOP.
However, 2011 was the year Lamb made his name known to the entire poker world. Besides winning a bracelet in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, Lamb also secured a runner-up finish in another PLO event and made it to the final table of the Main Event.
Top 10 Stories of 2011: #6, Ben Lamb Makes His Mark
Ben Lamb at the 2011 World Series of Poker
| EVENT | PLACE | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|
| Event #31 $3,000 PLO | 2nd | $259,918 |
| Event #42 $10,000 PLO Championship | 1st | $814,436 |
| Event #46 $10,000 NLHE Six-Handed Championship | 12th | $56,140 |
| Event #55 $50,000 Poker Players' Championship | 8th | $201,338 |
| Event #58 $10,000 NLHE Championship | 3rd | $4,021,138 |
His incredible run guaranteed Lamb the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year honors as well as the Card Player Player of the Year Award.
WSOP Player of the Year Winners
| Year | Player | Bracelets | Cashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Daniel Negreanu | 1 | $346,280 |
| 2005 | Allen Cunningham | 1 | $1,007,115 |
| 2006 | Jeff Madsen | 2 | $1,467,852 |
| 2007 | Tom Schneider | 2 | $416,829 |
| 2008 | Erick Lindgren | 1 | $1,358,528 |
| 2009 | Jeff Lisandro | 3 | $807,521 |
| 2010 | Frank Kassela | 2 | $1,255,314 |
| 2011 | Ben Lamb | 1 | $5,352,970 |
| 2012 | Greg Merson | 2 | $9,785,354 |
| 2013 | Daniel Negreanu | 2 | $1,954,054 |
| 2014 | George Danzer | 3 | $878,933 |
| 2015 | Mike Gorodinsky | 1 | $1,766,487 |
| 2016 | Jason Mercier | 2 | $960,424 |
| 2017 | Chris Ferguson | 1 | $428,423 |
| 2018 | Shaun Deeb | 2 | $2,545,623 |
| 2019 | Robert Campbell | 2 | $750,844 |
| 2020 | Not awarded | ||
| 2021 | Josh Arieh | 2 | $1,194,061 |
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