(Featured image: courtesy of WPT)
William O. Perkins III is a well-known American businessman who also has a career as a poker player in high-stakes tables. He is originally from Houston, Texas but he was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Although poker is not his main career, it’s undeniable how good he is at it, with total winnings estimated from live tournaments estimated at around $5.4 Million.
He is also an Engineer by profession (graduated from the University of Iowa), does hedge fund management, and is also a film producer at the same time. Wow, it looks like this man’s got everything – brains and riches!
| Full Name: William O. Perkins III | |
| DOB: February 2, 1969 | |
| Birth Place: Houston, Texas | |
| Profession: Engineer, hedge fund manager, film producer | |
| Girlfriend: Lara Sebastian | |
| WSOP Cashes: 2 | |
| Net Worth & Career Earnings: $60+ Million |
Table of Contents
Bill Perkins Bio and Poker Career
There’s really not so much public information about Bill’s early life and family. But we know for sure that his father was a politician and football player. He grew up in Jersey City and is an alumnus of St. Peter Preparatory School batch ’86.
Even as a child, he fancies engineering, and that’s the reason why he went to the University of Iowa to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Currently, he is in the energy industry and has built his own company named Small Ventures, USA.
He started his engineering career working with John D. Arnold who is a local natural gas trader. Shortly after working there, he stepped up his game and became the director of NorthernStar Natural gas. Not only that, Cutuco Energy Central America also appointed him as the CEO, proving how capable he is in his own field and industry.
And if you think that’s the only thing he’s capable of, well, you thought wrong. In 2009, he also entered the film production industry with his debut movie After Life. After the movie’s success, we produced a couple several more films including Unthinkable and Cat Run.
Poker Career
Contrary to the belief of many, Bill Perkins is not a professional player. Rather, he is an amateur who loves to play high-stakes poker with his elite friends and acquaintances.
(Hence the nickname “The Poker Fish”, although Bill calls himself “The Supreme Donkey”.)
Thanks to Bill’s successful career and hedge fund management business, he can afford to have this luxurious lifestyle even professional players dream of having.
Though he isn’t a pro, he made sure to keep a circle with professional players from whom he learned so much about poker.
Eventually, he learned the ropes and managed to rake big winnings from his poker escapades. Well, that really isn’t surprising for a man with the brains of Bill Perkins, is it?
Right now, his recorded total winning from the casino is $5,449,661. He also joined the World Series of Poker Tournament with two cashes and 1 final table, and his winnings were valued at a whopping $1,979,778!
You might’ve seen him play on PokerStars’ show “The Big Game” where they featured big names such as Phil Laak, Phil Hellmuth, David Williams, Daniel Negreanu, Todd Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Scott Seiver, etc.
Here’s one of the best episodes from that show:
Perkins also often appears in high stakes games that you can watch on PokerGo where he plays with other high rollers like Antonio Esfandiari, Bill Klein, Rick Salomon, Nick Petrangelo, and many others.
Personal Life
The Poker Fish was then married to Stephanie Perk and they have three lovely kids.
But, they got divorced a few years later and now he’s dating Lara Sebastian. His new girlfriend is a model and dancer. They are enjoying their relationship for years now.
Also, it’s quite amazing how his ex-wife and present girlfriend get along just fine.
Bill Perkins Net Worth
How rich is The Poker Fish? Does he really have to do poker to increase his wealth?
Well, the answer’s pretty obvious – no!
He is just fine and can live comfortably with his professional career as an engineer and hedge fund manager. But, he loves poker, and he’s definitely so good at it so yeah, his card winnings are just bonuses.
In 2021, his net worth is valued at $60+ Million, a combination of his professional earnings and poker winnings.
Here are some of his top cashes:
- 6th place at the 2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London – $2,684,000.00
- 3rd place at the 2013 44th Annual World Series of Poker – $1,965,163.00
- 4th place at the EPT Season X / UKIPT – London – $464,943.00
So, is there anything you can add about Bill Perkins as a poker player? Share your thoughts in the comments below!