Greg Raymer

{{infobox poker player

|name=Greg Raymer

|nickname=Fossilman

|image=Greg Raymer 2008.jpg

|caption=Greg Raymer at the 2008 World Series of Poker

|hometown=Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|06|25}}

|birth_place = Minot, North Dakota, U.S.

|wsop bracelet count=1

|wsop money finishes=61

|wsop main event best finish rank=Winner

|wsop main event best finish year=2004

|multi-year wsop winner

|wpt titles=None

|wpt final tables=None

|wpt money finishes=2

|updated=2020-02-22

}}

Gregory Paul Raymer (born June 25, 1964) nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.{{cite web|url=http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-player_greg-raymer|title=Greg Raymer - fossilman - Poker Player - PokerListings.com|website=Pokerlistings|access-date=January 22, 2020}}

Early life

Raymer's family moved numerous times during his childhood, from his birthplace of Minot, North Dakota to Lansing, Michigan, where he lived until age 10. He then moved to Clearwater, Florida, attending Dunedin Middle School, and would move later once again, this time to St. Louis, Missouri.{{cite book |last1=Roycroft |first1=Mitch |title=Greg Raymer "Fossilman" Superstars of Poker, Texas Hold'em |date=September 15, 2007 |publisher=Mason Crest |isbn=978-1422203804}}

After Raymer graduated from Parkway South High School in St. Louis, he enrolled at the University of Missouri–Rolla, where he majored in chemistry and became a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a master's degree in biochemistry in 1989, and then again from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1992. He then practiced law as a patent attorney for more than a decade, spending the last six years of his legal career at the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Raymer is nicknamed "Fossilman" because of his fossil collecting hobby. He uses a small fossil as a card protector while he plays poker.{{cite web|url=http://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerID=275|title=Greg Raymer's profile WSOP|website=WSOP Player Profile|access-date=January 22, 2020}}

Poker

Raymer first finished in the money of a World Series of Poker (WSOP) event during 2001 in the $1,500 Omaha hi-lo split 8 or better event won by Chris Ferguson.{{Cite web |title=32nd World Series of Poker - WSOP 2001, Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=3038 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} At the 2004 World Series of Poker, he defeated David Williams to win the $5,000,000 first prize in the $10,000 no limit Texas hold 'em WSOP main event.{{cite web|url=http://www.pokerlistings.com/greg-the-fossilman-raymer-2004-wsop-main-event-champion-708|title=Poker News - Poker News & Features from Around the World!|website=Pokerlistings|access-date=January 22, 2020}}

The following year, as defending champion, Raymer finished 25th (out of 5,619 entrants) in the 2005 WSOP Main Event, earning him $304,680.{{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=December 10, 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} Arguably, this two-year accomplishment ranks as one of the most impressive performances in the Main Event in recent history, along with Dan Harrington's. Both players posted deep runs in consecutive years (Harrington finished 3rd and 4th in 2003/2004), and both looked to repeat as world champion within a ten-year span (Harrington won the Main Event in 1995).{{cite web|url=http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/greg-raymer-poker-player-profile-8014|title=Greg Raymer – Poker Player Profile|date=February 4, 2010|access-date=January 22, 2020}}

In 2005, Raymer entered the inaugural British Poker Open, which was filmed in London and was the UK's biggest live poker event in history. As one of the favorites, he made the final table and came in third in a live final, worth around £20,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2005/05/report-british-poker-open-final.htm |title=Report on the first British Poker Open Final |access-date=January 22, 2020 |last=Bromham |first=Tony |date=May 11, 2005 |publisher=PokerNews.com }}

On September 17, 2007, Raymer won his first World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) bracelet by winning Event #6 of the 2007 WCOOP, a $320 Pot Limit Omaha with Rebuys event. The victory netted him $168,362.{{cite web|url=http://www.pokernews.com/news/2007/09/wcoop-event-6-fossilman-wins.htm |title=WCOOP – Event #6, $320 PLO: Greg 'FossilMan' Raymer Wins First WCOOP Title |access-date=January 22, 2020 |last=Wehner |first=Matt |date=September 18, 2007 |publisher=PokerNews.com }}

At the 2009 World Series of Poker $40,000 No Limit hold 'em event, he placed third out of 201 entrants and won $774,927.{{cite web|url=http://www.wsop.com/tourney/tournament-results.asp?tid=7227&grid=607|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105144018/http://wsop.com/tourney/tournament-results.asp?tid=7227&grid=607|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2009|title=Tournament Results - Official World Series of Poker Online|website=www.wsop.com|access-date=January 22, 2020}}

In 2012, he won an unprecedented four Heartland Poker Tour events. On July 30, he bested 130 opponents at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on October 1, he defeated 335 players at the River City Casino in St. Louis, on October 22, he took down another title at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack Casino In Iowa, and on November 19 he capped it off with a win at the HPT Champ Open at the Belterra Casino in Indiana. Raymer easily won the Heartland Poker Tour Player of The Year title earning a total of $371,967 in winnings.{{Cite web |title=Greg Raymer's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=7955 |access-date=January 22, 2024 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database}}

At the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event, he made another deep run finishing 122nd in a field of 6,737 players earning $49,108.{{cite web|url=https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results/?tid=14968&grid=1232|title=Tournament Results - Official World Series of Poker Online|website=www.wsop.com|access-date=January 22, 2024}}

In 2020, he won a record fifth Heartland Poker Tour Main Event. On January 20, he bested 520 opponents at the Ameristar Casino East Chicago in East Chicago, Indiana earning him $171,411 on a $1,650 buy-in.{{cite web|url=https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/24600-greg-raymer-wins-record-fifth-heartland-poker-tour-title |title=Greg Raymer Wins Record Fifth Heartland Poker Tour Title |access-date=January 22, 2020 |last=Fast |first=Erik |date=January 21, 2020 |publisher=CardPlayer.com }}

In October 2021, Raymer won a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players' Championship worth $30,000 (plus top prize of $4,911) in the $200 HORSE tournament at the inaugural Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival, hosted by Robbie Strazynski.{{Cite web|last=Hansen|first=Matt|date=October 8, 2021|title=Mixed Game Festival Day 4: Raymer Wins Platinum Pass in $200 H.O.R.S.E. Finale|url=https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/mixed-game-festival-day-4-raymer-wins-platinum-pass-in-200-horse-finale/|website=Cardplayer Lifestyle}}

As of 2021, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8.25 million. Most of his winnings ($6,762,645) have come from his 60+ cashes at WSOP tournament events.

class="wikitable" border="1"
+ World Series of Poker bracelets
Year !Tournament !Prize (US$)
2004 \|$10,000 No Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship \|$5,000,000

class="wikitable" border="1"

+ World Series of Poker bracelets

Year

!Tournament

!Prize (US$)

2004

|$10,000 No Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship

|$5,000,000

Other activities

On December 20, 2004, two men attempted to rob Raymer at gunpoint as he returned to his Bellagio hotel room after playing in a cash game. Raymer held them off by using a karate chop until police arrived and was unharmed.{{cite web|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Dec-31-Fri-2004/news/25577874.html|title=Las Vegas Review-Journal|website=Las Vegas Review-Journal|access-date=August 9, 2017}}

Raymer has lobbied extensively to have poker regulated and classified as a game of skill, after the passage of the UIGEA in 2006. As part of this effort, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the now defunct Poker Players Alliance.

In a December 2006 interview, Raymer said that he was considering running for Vice President of the United States in 2008 as a candidate of the Libertarian Party.{{cite web | last=Chapin | first=Bernard | title=Poker Champ and Vice Presidential Candidate?: An Interview with Greg Raymer | website=PokerNews | date=2006-12-04 | url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2006/12/poker-champ-vice-presidential-raymer-3397.htm | access-date=2024-12-02}} However, Raymer did not end up running.

Since 2011, Raymer has operated a poker training school called Fossilman Poker Training.{{cite web|url=http://www.fossilmanpokertraining.com|title=FossilMan Poker Training|website=www.fossilmanpokertraining.com|access-date=January 22, 2020}} The 1-2 day training classes are conducted at poker rooms around the US and Canada. Raymer was one of the original members of Team PokerStars Pro, a group of professional poker players who represent and endorse PokerStars.com, the world's largest online poker site. As of early 2011, he is no longer a member of Team PokerStars.

In March 2013 Raymer was arrested for soliciting a prostitute in North Carolina. The charges were dropped after he completed 75 hours of community service.{{Cite web |last=Pempus |first=Brian |date=October 14, 2013 |title=Report: Prostitution Charges Dropped Against Greg Raymer |url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/16274-report-prostitution-charges-dropped-against-greg-raymer.html |access-date=August 9, 2017 |website=CardPlayer.com}}

In June 2019, his book Fossilman's Winning Tournament Strategies was published by D+B Poker{{Cite web |title=Fossilman's Winning Tournament Strategies |url=https://www.dandbpoker.com/book/fossilmans-winning-tournament-strategies |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510054839/https://dandbpoker.com/book/fossilmans-winning-tournament-strategies |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |access-date=January 22, 2020 |website=D+B Poker}}