Sam Grafton
Despite being one of Britain’s highest-scoring poker players of all time, Sam Grafton approaches high-roller poker tournaments with the same good nature you would find in friendly low-stakes games – a character befitting of PokerStars Team Pro.
Sam started his interest in the game thanks to his two younger brothers. He used to join them at a £10 buy-in at a local snooker hall. From there, he developed his skills and was able to join a dedicated poker club in London, before discovering the world of online poker. It was in his home city of London where he achieved an early ‘poker highlight,’ winning the Grosvenor United Kingdom Poker Tour (GUKPT) Main Event. This was his first live title, and to do it in front of friends and family made it extra special.
Recent years and intense study have seen Grafton’s star shine brighter than ever. 2022 started with a first European Poker Tour (EPT) trophy and built towards a career high – the second biggest-ever win by a British player – as Sam emerged victorious in the Triton Series US$200,000 Coin Rivet Invitational for an astonishing US$5,000,000 prize.
Joining Team Pro was an exciting moment for Sam, as PokerStars has always meant a lot to him. “The online environment PokerStars have provided is where I’ve made much of my living and it’s at their live events such as the UKIPT (United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour) and EPT stops that I’ve made some of my greatest friends,” he said.
A true ambassador to the game, Sam can often be found chatting to fellow players at live stops, and is a regular feature in the commentary booth, too. Despite the incredibly busy schedule that comes with being a profitable player at live events, he loves nothing more than taking a little extra time out to analyze and comment on the game he loves.
Sam plays online poker exclusively at PokerStars, where he plays under the username ‘SamSquid’.