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Greg Raymer is an American poker player, nicknamed “FossilMan”, who won the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event. A patent attorney at the time, he beat a field of 2,576 entries and took the $5,000,000 first prize after defeating David Williams heads-up. [1] He had qualified through a $160 online satellite on PokerStars, a year after Chris Moneymaker had done the same. [4]
Greg Raymer: key facts
| Full name | Gregory Raymer [2] |
|---|---|
| Nickname | FossilMan [1] |
| Country | United States [1] |
| Born in | Minot, North Dakota [1] |
| Before poker | Patent attorney, the last years at Pfizer [6] |
| Known for | 2004 WSOP Main Event champion; online qualifier; five Heartland Poker Tour titles |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 (79 WSOP.com-listed cashes, 13 final tables) [2] |
| Biggest win | 2004 WSOP Main Event, $5,000,000 [1] |
| Book | FossilMan’s Winning Tournament Strategies (2019) [11] |
| Live tournament earnings | $8,420,767 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life and career as a patent attorney
Raymer was born in Minot, North Dakota. He majored in chemistry at the University of Missouri-Rolla and earned a master’s degree in biochemistry in 1989, then worked as a patent attorney for more than a decade. [1] In his own account, the last half of that career was spent at Pfizer in southeast Connecticut, in a regular nine-to-five job. He played at the nearby Foxwoods poker room a couple of times a week and took one poker trip a year, usually to the WSOP. [6]
Poker was already more than a hobby: Raymer told PokerNews he had filed his taxes as a part-time poker professional since 1998. [8] The nickname comes from his fossil collection. He uses a fossil as a card protector, and since 2008 he has given that fossil to the player who eliminates him, using a new one for every tournament. [10] He is married to Cheryl, and they have a daughter. [8]
The 2004 WSOP Main Event
The 2004 Main Event was the first after Moneymaker’s win, and the field grew from 839 players in 2003 to 2,576, with a prize pool of $24,224,400. Before that year Raymer had a single WSOP cash, worth $5,345. [5] PokerStars alone supplied 315 entries. [3] It was also the last Main Event held at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. [6]
Raymer started the final table with 8 million in chips and eliminated four of the first five players to leave. Dan Harrington, who had finished third the year before, went out in fourth, and Raymer then beat Josh Arieh in third place with ace-queen against pocket nines. Both Raymer and Williams had won their seats through online satellites on PokerStars, so the title was certain to go to a PokerStars qualifier. [3] The heads-up match lasted seven hands. [1] On the last one, the board ran out 5-4-2-2-2, and Raymer’s pocket eights made a bigger full house than Williams’s ace-four. [3] Williams received $3,500,000. At the time, the two top payouts were the largest any two players had received in a poker tournament. [1]
After the win he left his job to represent PokerStars. “It was a really easy decision to quit my job since PokerStars was offering me more money to represent them than Pfizer was offering me to stick around and write patent applications,” he told Card Player in 2010. [7] The relationship with PokerStars ended in 2010. [8]
Playing style
Raymer is mainly a No-Limit Hold’em tournament player. Card Player’s history of the 2004 Main Event describes him as “aggressive early and often” in the early days of that event, which helped him build the chip lead. [3] He wears the glasses that became his trademark at the table, [7] and he has said he sees experience on televised tables as an advantage: “I’ve always loved being on the TV table. I think that gives me a massive edge over most players.” [8]
He is also known as a teacher. He has taught for the WSOP Academy and runs his own FossilMan Poker Training seminars. [8] In 2024 he told PokerNews that teaching is “a real passion” and that he is still a licensed patent agent, although no longer a lawyer. [6]
Greatest achievements
Tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | WSOP $10,000 Main Event (2,576 entries) | 1st | $5,000,000 | [1] |
| 2009 | WSOP $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em, 40th Anniversary event | 3rd | $774,927 | [1] |
| 2005 | WSOP Main Event (5,619 entries) | 25th | $304,680 | [6] |
| 2020 | HPT Ameristar East Chicago $1,650 Main Event (520 entries) | 1st | $171,411 | [10] |
| 2007 | World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) event | 1st | $168,362 | [8] |
| 2012 | HPT River City Casino, St. Louis (336 players) | 1st | $121,973 | [9] |
| 2012 | HPT Championship Open, Belterra, Indiana (283 players) | 1st | $106,030 | [9] |
| 2012 | HPT Prairie Meadows, Altoona, Iowa (185 entries) | 1st | $72,089 | [9] |
| 2012 | HPT Route 66 Casino, Albuquerque (131 players) | 1st | $71,875 | [9] |
| 2026 | WSOP $10,000 Main Event (9,208 entries) | 279th | $50,000 | [2] |
His 25th place in 2005, in a field more than twice the size of the one he had beaten, [6] was described by PokerNews as “an almost unprecedented feat”. [8] In 2009 he came closest to a second bracelet, finishing third in the $40,000 event. [7]
Heartland Poker Tour record
In 2012 Raymer won four of the 16 Heartland Poker Tour events for a combined $371,967. No player had previously won two HPT events in one season, and the run made him the 2012 HPT Player of the Year. [9] In January 2020 he added a record fifth HPT Main Event title at Ameristar East Chicago, beating Evan Bethyo heads-up for $171,411, a win that took his career tournament earnings past $8 million. [10]
World Series of Poker
His WSOP.com profile lists one bracelet, 79 cashes, 13 final tables and $6,961,289 in earnings, a total that also includes some non-WSOP events shown on that profile. He is still a regular at the series: in 2026 he finished 279th of 9,208 entries in the Main Event for $50,000. [2]
Poker Hall of Fame
Raymer has not been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. He does not appear on the WSOP.com list of inductees, which runs to 2026 and includes Dan Harrington (2010) and Chris Moneymaker (2019). [12]
Book
Raymer’s first book, FossilMan’s Winning Tournament Strategies, was published by D&B Poker in time for the 2019 WSOP. [11] The 248-page book covers tournament topics including the Independent Chip Model, bet sizing, big-stack and short-stack play, and rebuy and bounty events. [14]
Off the felt: the Bellagio robbery attempt
PokerNews reported in 2014 that Raymer fought off two robbers who tried to hold him up at gunpoint as he returned to his room at the Bellagio. [8] Raymer later said he was not hurt and that nothing was taken. [6]
In his own words
- “It feels like it just happened, and yet it also feels like I have always been the World Champion.” On the 2004 title, 2024. [6]
- “Even today, I tell people to NOT drop out of school or quit their job to play poker full-time.” 2024. [6]
- “Statistically, it’s probably a lot tougher to win the four HPTs, just because nobody’s done that or anything close to that.” On his 2012 Heartland Poker Tour run. [9]
- “I started using a fossil as a card protector a long time ago and got the nickname ‘FossilMan.'” January 2020. [10]
- “If you’re somewhat new to poker, this book should be able to serve as your bible for tournament poker.” On his book, 2018. [11]
Iconic hands and moments
Greg Raymer wins the 2004 WSOP Main Event
The 2004 Main Event final table with Dan Harrington
Run it Back with Greg Raymer (PokerGO)
FAQ about Greg Raymer
How old is Greg Raymer?
His PokerNews and WSOP.com profiles do not give an exact birth date. PokerNews described him as 49 in a May 2014 interview, [8] and in 2026 he cashed in the WSOP Super Seniors event, [2] which was open only to players aged at least 60. [13]
Where is Greg Raymer from?
He is American and was born in Minot, North Dakota. [1] When he won his fifth HPT title in 2020, PokerNews gave his home as Raleigh, North Carolina. [10]
What is Greg Raymer’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $8,420,767 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. [1]
How much did Greg Raymer win in the 2004 WSOP Main Event?
$5,000,000, after beating David Williams heads-up in a field of 2,576 entries. [1]
How many WSOP bracelets does Greg Raymer have?
One, from the 2004 Main Event. [2] His closest call for a second was third place in the 2009 $40,000 event. [1]
Why is Greg Raymer called FossilMan?
He collects fossils and uses them as card protectors. Since 2008 he has given the fossil to the player who knocks him out of a tournament. [1]
What was Greg Raymer’s job before poker?
He was a patent attorney, working the last years of that career at Pfizer in Connecticut. [6]
Is Greg Raymer in the Poker Hall of Fame?
No. He is not on the WSOP.com list of Poker Hall of Fame inductees. [12]
Did Greg Raymer write a book?
Yes. FossilMan’s Winning Tournament Strategies was published by D&B Poker in 2019. [11]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 champion who, like Raymer, qualified on PokerStars, and about Dan Harrington, who finished fourth at Raymer’s 2004 final table.
Sources
- PokerNews, Greg Raymer player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Gregory Raymer player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- Card Player, WSOP: History, 2004 Recap, July 2008.
- Card Player, PokerStars: The True King of the WSOP Main Event, November 2008.
- PokerNews, WSOP Main Event Champions 2003-05: Moneymaker, Raymer, Hachem, April 20, 2022.
- PokerNews, Greg Raymer Reflects on Historic WSOP Main Event Win 20 Years Later, June 26, 2024.
- Card Player, World Series of Poker Champion’s Perspective: Greg Raymer, June 10, 2010.
- PokerNews, Greg Raymer: The Fossilman Excavates His Past and Looks to the Future, May 12, 2014.
- PokerNews, Top 10 Stories of 2012: #7, Greg Raymer Wins Four Heartland Poker Tour Titles, December 26, 2012.
- PokerNews, Greg Raymer Wins Record Fifth HPT Title, $171,411 at HPT Ameristar East Chicago, January 21, 2020.
- PokerNews, Greg Raymer on Upcoming Book Fossilman’s Winning Tournament Strategies, October 7, 2018.
- WSOP.com, Poker Hall of Fame, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, Lionel Barracano Wins 2026 WSOP Super Seniors Bracelet, June 2026.
- PokerNews, Book Excerpt: ‘FossilMan’s Winning Tournament Strategies’ by Greg Raymer, April 29, 2019.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
