Daniel Alaei

{{Short description|Professional poker player (born 1982)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox poker player

|image = Daniel Alaei (WSOP 2009, Event 18).jpg

|name=Daniel Alaei

|nickname=

|birth_date={{birth year and age|1982}}

|caption= Daniel Alaei after winning event 18 of the 2009 World Series of Poker

|hometown=Santa Fe Springs, California

|wsop bracelet count=5

|wsop money finishes=31

|wsop main event best finish rank=25th

|wsop main event best finish year=2007

|wpt titles=1

|wpt final tables=1

|wpt money finishes=10

|updated=2024-05-24

}}

Daniel Christopher AlaeiUS Search [http://preview.ussearch.com/preview/ala/newsearch?adID=10002101&searchtab=people&searchFName=daniel&searchMName=&searchLName=alaei&searchCity=&searchState=CA&searchApproxAge=&x=39&y=38 "Daniel Alaei"]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (born 1982{{Cite web |date=December 10, 2009 |title=MFPP : Alaei – Moneymaker |url=http://smallball-poker.com/2009/12/mfpp-alaei-moneymaker |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213134432/http://smallball-poker.com/2009/12/mfpp-alaei-moneymaker |archive-date=2009-12-13 |access-date=December 13, 2009 |website=Smallball Poker}}) is a professional poker player from Santa Fe Springs, California. He is of Assyrian descent.

Primarily a $50–100 no-limit Texas hold 'em cash game player, Alaei won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2006 in a no-limit 2-7 draw Lowball event.{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2006 |title=Alaei wins lowball event |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/poker/news/story?id=2541699 |access-date=July 30, 2019 |website=ESPN.com|via=ESPN Poker Club |language=en}} He was featured on the first three seasons of High Stakes Poker.{{Cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Lisa |date=October 12, 2006 |title=High Stakes Poker Season 3 Filmed at South Coast - Poker News |url=https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/1490-high-stakes-poker-season-3-filmed-at-south-coast |access-date=July 30, 2019 |website=CardPlayer.com}}

In 2007, Alaei cashed in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, coming in a career-best 25th place out of a field of 6,358 players and winning $333,490.{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2007 |title=Daniel Alaei Is Eliminated in 25th Place ($333,490) |url=https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2007-wsop/event-55-world-championship-no-limit-holdem/post.28033.htm |access-date=July 30, 2019 |website=PokerNews.com |language=en}} Alaei has two other Main Event cashes (59th in 2004 and 140th in 2005).{{Cite web |title=35th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2004, World Championship Event |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=6628 |access-date=April 21, 2024 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=36th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2005, No Limit Texas Hold'em - World Championship Event |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=14015 |access-date=April 21, 2024 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}

On December 19, 2009, he outlasted a field of 329 players to take down the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Classic, winning $1,428,430 in the process. He beat a final table that included poker professionals Scotty Nguyen and Josh Arieh, whom he defeated heads-up to win the tournament.{{Cite web |date=December 20, 2009 |title=Daniel Alaei Wins Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic |url=https://www.poker-king.com/poker-king-articles.php?article=742 |access-date=July 30, 2019 |website=Poker-King.com |language=en}}

At the 2010 World Series of Poker, Alaei first finished 7th in the $50,000 Player's Championship Event for $221,105 before clinching his third WSOP bracelet when he defeated 345 players to win the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship for $780,599.{{Cite web |date=June 2, 2010 |title=Michael The Grinder Mizrachi Wins Poker Player's Championship |url=https://www.poker-king.com/poker-king-articles.php?article=834 |access-date=July 30, 2019 |website=Poker-King.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=41st World Series of Poker - WSOP 2010, Pot Limit Omaha Championship |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=40142 |access-date=April 21, 2024 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}

At the 2013 World Series of Poker, Alaei won his fourth WSOP bracelet when he won the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship for $852,692.{{Cite web |last=Kirschen |first=Rob |date=July 8, 2013 |title=Daniel Alaei Wins Fourth WSOP Bracelet, and Second Woman Wins Open Event in 2013 |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2013/07/daniel-alaei-wins-fourth-wsop-bracelet-and-second-woman-wins-15895.htm |access-date=April 21, 2024 |website=PokerNews.com |language=en}} He also cashed the $111,111 Big One for One Drop Super High Roller Event for $173,723.{{Cite web |title=44th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2013, No Limit Hold'em - One Drop High Roller (Event #47) |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=80517 |access-date=December 24, 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}

At the 2015 World Series of Poker, Alaei won the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship event for his fifth career bracelet and $391,097.{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Julio |date=June 11, 2015 |title=Daniel Alaei Wins His Fifth Career World Series of Poker Bracelet - Poker News |url=https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/18913-daniel-alaei-wins-his-fifth-career-world-series-of-poker-bracelet |access-date=July 30, 2019 |website=CardPlayer.com}}

As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $7,400,000.{{Cite web |title=Daniel Alaei's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=25308 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} His 42 cashes at the WSOP account for $4,727,644 of those winnings.{{Cite web |title=Daniel Alaei |url=https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=2229 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=WSOP.com}}