(Image: courtesy of Hustler Casino Live)
Many poker players get famous mainly because of their skills and achievements on felt.
But others, just like Garrett Adelstein, got more publicity when he joined Survivor: Cagayan, a reality show filmed in the Philippines. But before he joined the show, he was already a promising poker player.
He is a very popular live cash game player who has an enormous net worth according to various sources. He is known for always sporting a very aggressive and tricky game style. He became popular by playing for Live at the Bike streams.
He also played at WSOP events as well, having only had 3 cashes. As of now, he hasn’t won a WSOP bracelet, but his live cash winnings can probably make up for that.
| Full Name: Garrett Adelstein | |
| DOB: May 16, 1986 | |
| Birthplace: Tucson, Arizona | |
| Profession: Professional poker player | |
| Wife: Jennifer Stutland | |
| WSOP Cashes: 3 | |
| Net Worth & Career Earnings: $10+ million |
Table of Contents
Garrett Adelstein Bio
Garrett was born in Tucson, Arizona on May 16, 1986.
Not much about his early family life has been openly discussed in public, but what we know is that he has two siblings who he often contacts from time to time. Another thing we are certain about is that he excelled as a student.
(Some say that he was also a professional football player before he became famous within the poker community.)
It was reported that Garrett graduated as class valedictorian in high school. And, it was not some small-town school. It consisted of at least 500 students for the entire grade. So being top of that class is really saying something.
But, that’s not the only academic feat he had. He also graduated Summa Cum Laude at the University of Arizona. I guess it isn’t anymore that surprising that he’s got a lot of smart strategies when it comes to the felt, right?
He’s also a “Big Brother” to needy kids, which makes him not only an amazing poker player, but also an amazing human being as well.
Note: It’s an organization called Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. It’s a fantastic mentoring program that has been around since the very early 1900s. Lucky kid to have him as a role model.
Now, let’s talk about Adelstein’s poker career, crazy livestreams, and earnings.
Poker Career
G-Man started his poker career during the poker boom.
He once stated in an interview that it was the Moneymaker effect that inspired him to play on the felt. And I think we can all agree it was a good call to join the trend then. He was able to build up his bankroll by playing live cash games seriously since then.
In 2005, he started his professional poker journey. First, he was focused on playing NLHE online cash games. Later on, he switched to heads up and has since played both variations.
But, during Black Friday in 2011, he decided to put more focus on playing live cash games. He became more visible in live games which just contributed to his increasing bankroll.
Because he was more into live cash games, his official tournament winnings are a bit low at just around $170,000 for a span of 8 years.
For a pro poker player, this is below average, but I think Garrett couldn’t care less. He was raking up millions in cash games.
Throughout his poker career, he’s played with absolute legends like Phil Ivey, Tom “Durrrr” Dwan, Doyle Brunson, and many others.
Hustler Casino and Live at the Bike
Hustler Casino Live is a poker game live-streamed online.
However, it looks more like a TV broadcast rather than a stream. In this show, you will see various poker players compete for the pot in the rawest and most realistic scenario.
The thing about the show is that not anybody can play. The games are invitational, meaning, you will need an invitation from the host to join the table. Lately, Adelstein has been asked to join which he gladly accepted.
In an earlier episode (February 2022) of Hustler Casino Live, Dylan Gang savagely slow rolled Garrett. Check out the video below to see how that happened:
However, just a week later, G-Man was able to get a comeback by winning the $390,000 pot. This made his fans go wild and the match gained more attention because of this.
Another streaming platform where you can witness Garrett’s poker skills is Live at the Bike.
He started playing in 2017, and until now, he is a crowd favorite. He is known to exhibit reckless plays and aggressive bets, and he has a lively personality which makes the table more fun and exciting.
One most notable move he did was betting almost $8,000 on the river with only an Ace high. I don’t know if he’s just super lucky, or if he really felt it was his hand, but he did win that round.
All in all: Adelstein is a real PRO.
He gets all the money and has been self aware enough in his career to understand where the money comes from and how to keep it. A class act and a complete silent killer.
High Stakes Poker Debut at PokerGo Show
Interestingly enough, even though “G-Man” t consistently showed up in Live at the Bike and Hustler Casino Live streams, he’s never participated in PokerGo’s iconic show.
However, in March 2022 he made his first appearance in PokerGo’s high stakes $200/400 cash game. Not only it was a debut for Adelstein, but it was also for Xuan Liu, Jennifer Tilly, and Krish Menon (who is another Hustler Casino Live regular).
In this game, the new players competed with celebrities like Doyle Brunson, Kim Hultman, Patrik Antonius, and Tom Dwan.
While Garrett ran fairly well, he was faced with some unpredictable moves by some of the world’s best, and he himself said that he was disappointed with his play. And he’s shared that appearing on PokerGo High Stakes Poker has lead to a mental breakdown in the subsequent weeks.
Joey Ingram Podcast: Adelstein on Depression
You probably wouldn’t think this, but apparently G-Man has struggled with mental health issues his whole life. And he openly talks about that.
He’s shared how he had a mental breakdown in subsequent weeks after participating in PokerGo’s High Stakes Poker episode in March 2022. Even though he ran fairly well, he was just greatly disappointed with his performance that night and it took a toll on him.
Garrett also appeared in Joey Ingram’s Poker Life Podcast and talked about his lifelong depression, and this interview garnered a LOT of attention considering the topics touched on.
It seems that there are a lot of poker players who struggle with mental health, so it resonated with them. And without a doubt, poker fans appreciated Adelstein opening up on such a sensitive topic.
Coaching at Run It Once
Garrett was also a coach at RIO.
This is a platform that was once owned by Phil Galfond but was later acquired by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). Originally, it aims to provide education to aspiring poker players about various game strategies and techniques. He was with the team until 2014.
His main focus was teaching players how to effectively win NLHE.
The training consists of various recorded videos where you can see him actually playing while discussing his techniques. Though you can see him play, the lessons are geared towards a theoretical approach.
Back then, he was charging $425 for an hourly lesson.
If you compare it to other online educational resources out there, that’s quite a larger sum, but many students were willing to spend much just so they could learn from the pro and reap good results.
Adelstein in Survivor: Cagayan
Now, let’s talk about his experience as one of the players for Survivor: Cagayan. This is an American CBS reality show which was filmed in the Philippines in 2013. It started airing in 2014, though.
This particular season was titled “Brawn vs. Brain vs. Beauty”. The 18 participants were divided into three tribes based on their personality/attributes. Known for his academic excellence, Garrett belonged to team Luzon (Brains).
>> DID YOU KNOW? Fatima Moreira de Melo won Germany’s own Survivor show.
It was rather unexpected for Adelstein to be called the weakest member of the tribe by David Samson, their leader.
On the first day, he was able to secure the Hidden Immunity Idol. However, he was the 2nd member to be voted out after the female members turned against him. He initiated an open forum earlier which led the women of the team to vote him out.
He said that his goal in joining the reality show was to promote self-growth. He believed that facing unexpected issues and circumstances will help him grow as a person. Plus, he also said he wanted to impress LA ladies. Whether it’s a joke or not, we can all guess he got that job done.
Speaking of Garrett post Survivor and women…
Garrett has mentioned his wife Jen several times in live streams. Her name is Jennifer Stutland, they got married in 2021, and she’s a realtor in California. Overall, Garrett likes to keep his personal life pretty private.
Garrett Adelstein’s Net Worth
So, how did Adelstein make his money? This is a combination of his TV appearances, high stakes poker winnings, real estate properties, business ventures, and likely family capital.
According to various reports, Adelstein’s net worth is around $10 million. But, judging on his recent winnings at Hustler Casino and how much he confidently buys in for, I’m quite certain it’s a lot more than $10+ million.
(I would assume he has a higher net worth, especially if we consider private high stakes games and the wealth of his family.)
When it comes to WSOP, here are his only cashes so far:
- 143rd place 2016 WSOP – $49,108
- 222nd place 2010 41st Annual WSOP – $48,847
- 24th place 2008 EPT Caribbean Adventure S4 – $48,000
- 25th place 2011 WSOP – $25,919
So, do you know anything else about Garrett poker net worth and life? Don’t hesitate to share them in the comments section below!