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Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who won the World Chess Championship five times and holds the highest classical rating ever recorded. [2] Away from the board he plays poker for fun: he finished 25th in the 2022 Norwegian Championships Main Event, played the 2022 WSOP Main Event, won a large pot on Hustler Casino Live and reached Day 3 of the 2023 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event, where he finished 63rd for €15,000. [1][8][9][10]
Magnus Carlsen: key facts
| Name | Magnus Carlsen |
|---|---|
| Born | November 30, 1990, Tønsberg, Norway [2] |
| Country | Norway [1] |
| Main career | Chess grandmaster; World Chess Champion 2013 to 2023 [2] |
| Largest poker cash | €15,000, 63rd in the €5,300 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event, 2023 [10] |
| WSOP | Played the $10,000 Main Event in 2022; no cash [7][8] |
| Live tournament earnings | $22,207 as of October 10, 2026 [1] |
| Poker approach | “I have no ambitions in poker” [3] |
Chess career in brief
Carlsen earned his final grandmaster norm in April 2004, at the age of 13. In 2013 he beat Viswanathan Anand 6.5 to 3.5 to become world champion, and he defended the title against Anand in 2014, Sergey Karjakin in 2016, Fabiano Caruana in 2018 and Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2021. His rating of 2882 on the May 2014 FIDE list is the highest classical rating ever achieved. [2] He announced in July 2022 that he would not defend the title again, and he formally gave it up in 2023 when Ding Liren won the championship match against Nepomniachtchi. [2][3]
From home games to the Norwegian Championship
Before he played tournaments, Carlsen had long played poker in home games with friends, according to Card Player. [7] His first recorded live cash came in April 2022 at the Norwegian Championships, a tournament series held every year in Ireland for legal reasons. [5][6] In the €880 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event in Dublin, which drew more than 1,000 players, he came close to the final table and finished 25th for $5,681 (PokerNews lists $5,680). [1][4][5] “Thats it for me. Finished 25th,” he posted afterwards. [4]
One hand from that run drew attention from the poker world. With blinds at 2,500/5,000 and a stack of about 288,000, Carlsen raised pocket aces from the hijack and saw a four-way flop of three spades. When a fourth spade came on the turn, he turned his aces into a bluff and kept betting on the turn and river. [4][6] Daniel Negreanu posted a video analysis of the hand, and Carlsen replied: “Thanks for the kind words and the analysis @RealKidPoker. Now it’s definitely my turn to analyze a chess game of yours!” [6]
2022 WSOP Main Event
In July 2022 Card Player reported that Carlsen would travel to Las Vegas for the $10,000 WSOP Main Event, which began on July 3. At 31 he had no lifetime WSOP results. [7] He played Day 1C with a starting stack of 50,000. He climbed to 66,000 in the first level, then fell to 16,500 after a large river bluff did not work, and doubled up with trips to 18,800. At the 300-500/500 level he moved all in for about 12,000 from the cutoff with ace-nine; Rahul Desirazu called from the big blind with pocket queens, the board brought no ace and Carlsen was eliminated without a cash. [8]
Hustler Casino Live
In April 2023 Carlsen joined a “Creator Poker Night” on the Hustler Casino Live stream, a $10/$25 No-Limit Hold’em cash game with chess players, streamers and social media creators. Facing three barrels from TikTok creator Nick Austin, he called with bottom pair, telling him, “I actually, somehow, I don’t believe you at all.” Austin was bluffing, and Carlsen won the $13,775 pot, taking his stack above $19,000. He ended the session $4,490 up. [9] He later told PokerNews he thought Austin “was probably bluffing”. [3]
2023 EPT Monte Carlo
Carlsen’s deepest tournament run came at the 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo. He had first been to Monaco in 2007 for a chess tournament, when he watched Alexander Grischuk play the EPT Main Event. [3] Sixteen years later he played the €5,300 Main Event himself, a field of 1,098 entries, and was among fewer than 100 players left when he played at the televised feature table. [3][10] He started Day 3 with 127,000 chips and was eliminated in 63rd place for €15,000 when his pocket fours lost to Mark Teltscher’s pocket tens. Teltscher thanked him for “growing the game”. Mike Watson won the event for €749,425. [10]
Tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event (1,098 entries) | 63rd | €15,000 | [10] |
| 2022 | Norwegian Championships, €880 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, Dublin | 25th | $5,681 | [5] |
| 2022 | WSOP $10,000 Main Event, Las Vegas | Out on Day 1C | None | [8] |
Sponsorship
Carlsen is an ambassador for the gambling brand Unibet and extended the deal in April 2022. Card Player noted that the agreement covers sports betting rather than poker. [4] He was expected to wear the Unibet logo at the 2022 WSOP. [7]
In his own words
- “I have no ambitions in poker. I like playing, it’s an interesting challenge, but I have no ambitions.” To PokerNews at EPT Monte Carlo, 2023. [3]
- “I think the similarities between poker and chess are more than people would think.” He added that although chess is a game of perfect information, many decisions are still made on imperfect calculation. [3]
He also told PokerNews that he does not really study poker and prefers to talk hands through with other people. [3]
Video
Pocket aces at the Norwegian Poker Championship (Magnus Carlsen’s channel)
FAQ about Magnus Carlsen and poker
Does Magnus Carlsen play poker?
Yes, as a hobby. He has played live tournaments since 2022, including the WSOP and EPT Main Events, and cash games on Hustler Casino Live, but says he has no ambitions in poker. [1][3]
How much has Magnus Carlsen won playing poker?
His live tournament earnings are $22,207 as of October 10, 2026, according to PokerNews. [1]
What is Magnus Carlsen’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. On the poker side, what can be verified is his live tournament record: $22,207 in earnings as of October 10, 2026. [1]
How did Magnus Carlsen do in the WSOP Main Event?
He played the $10,000 Main Event in 2022 and was eliminated on Day 1C, when his ace-nine lost to pocket queens, so he did not cash. [8]
What is Magnus Carlsen’s best poker result?
63rd of 1,098 entries in the €5,300 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event in 2023, for €15,000. [10]
How old is Magnus Carlsen?
He was born on November 30, 1990, so he is 35 as of October 10, 2026. [2]
How many times was Magnus Carlsen world chess champion?
Five: he won the title in 2013 and defended it in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021. [2]
Related on WPF
Read more about Daniel Negreanu, who analysed Carlsen’s pocket aces bluff, and Jennifer Shahade, another chess player who was at EPT Monte Carlo in 2023. New to the game? Start with how to play Texas Hold’em.
Sources
- PokerNews, Magnus Carlsen player profile, accessed October 10, 2026.
- Chess.com, Magnus Carlsen, accessed October 10, 2026.
- PokerNews, No Longer World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen Sets Sights On Poker, May 3, 2023.
- Card Player, WATCH: Magnus Carlsen, Best Chess Player In History, Turns Pocket Aces Into A Bluff, April 10, 2022.
- Card Player, Magnus Carlsen tournament results, accessed October 10, 2026.
- Poker.org, Daniel Negreanu analyses Magnus Carlsen’s poker game, May 29, 2022.
- Card Player, Chess Legend Magnus Carlsen To Play In World Series Of Poker Main Event, July 1, 2022.
- Poker.org, Magnus Carlsen plays blitz poker at the 2022 WSOP Main Event Day 1C, July 6, 2022.
- Card Player, WATCH: Chess Superstar Picks Off Big Bluff In Livestreamed Poker Game, April 13, 2023.
- PokerNews, 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo €5,300 EPT Main Event, Day 3, May 2023.
Last verified: October 10, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
