Chris Hunichen: Big Huni on Poker’s Biggest Stages
Chris Hunichen is an American professional poker player born in 1984 and widely known as Big Huni. He established his reputation through online tournaments before becoming a regular contender in major live high rollers. His results include a World Series of Poker bracelet, a European Poker Tour High Roller title and several seven-figure tournament cashes.
The Hendon Mob snapshot supplied for this profile records 19.095.514 $ in live tournament earnings and a largest cash of 2.838.389 $. It places him first on North Carolina’s all-time money list, 39th among United States players and 84th worldwide. His biggest payday came with his first WSOP bracelet in 2024.
Born in 1984 and Raised in North Carolina
Hunichen was born in 1984 and is closely associated with Clayton, North Carolina, the residence listed in his Hendon Mob profile. His education included East Carolina University, where he earned a business degree in 2006 and later completed an MBA in 2009.
His connection with the university remained visible during his poker career. He wore its purple and gold colours during his 2024 WSOP breakthrough, bringing a familiar part of his life into the celebration of his first bracelet.
Big Huni: An Online Tournament Identity
Hunichen built his reputation online under the name Big Huni before his largest live results arrived. He reached the top of the PocketFives online tournament rankings, establishing himself as one of the recognised names of the online tournament generation.
That background is central to his career. Online results supplied both experience and recognition before he became a fixture in expensive live events. His later achievements extended an existing professional record rather than introducing a player who had arrived through one unexpected live win.
Moving from Online Play to Live High Rollers
Hunichen’s recorded live results extend back to 2008, with larger festival cashes becoming more regular over the following years. His schedule eventually included the WSOP, the European Poker Tour and major high roller series in Las Vegas and the Caribbean.
This transition brought different demands. Online tournament experience could inform his decisions, but live events required sustained concentration at a single table and adaptation to opponents whose behaviour was visible across long sessions. His results gradually showed that he could compete in both settings.
2017: A WSOP Runner-Up Finish
Hunichen came close to a bracelet in the 2017 WSOP 5.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed event, finishing second for 358.677 $. It was an important early WSOP result, although the title remained out of reach.
The runner-up finish became part of a longer sequence of near misses at the series. His eventual bracelet victory would arrive after substantial experience at WSOP final tables, rather than at the beginning of his live tournament career.
A Caribbean Super High Roller Title
In November 2017, Hunichen won the Caribbean Poker Party 25.500 $ MILLIONS Super High Roller for 400.000 $. He defeated Sam Greenwood heads-up in a 43-entry event, with Sam Trickett finishing third and Adrian Mateos fourth.
The victory supplied an outright title against an experienced high stakes field. It also demonstrated the international reach of his schedule, as his strongest results increasingly extended beyond the major summer series in Las Vegas.
2019: EPT Barcelona High Roller Champion
Hunichen won the 2019 EPT Barcelona 10.300 € High Roller after agreeing a heads-up deal with Uri Reichenstein. His prize was 841.345 €, and he received the trophy in a tournament that attracted 540 entries.
The distinction between the original payout schedule and the agreed deal matters when reading historical results. Hunichen’s recorded award reflects the agreement between the final two players. The win remains one of his principal European achievements and an important step in his live career.
A Million-Dollar Finish in the Bahamas
Later in 2019, Hunichen finished third in the partypoker MILLIONS World Main Event in the Bahamas for 1.097.195 $. The result added a seven-figure live cash to a season that had already included his Barcelona title.
His 2019 results show the range of his tournament schedule: large festival main events as well as high rollers. The Bahamas score also became an important reference point before his even larger WSOP payouts in the following years.
2020: Another Bracelet Near Miss Online
Hunichen finished runner-up to Christian Rudolph in the 2020 WSOP Online 25.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em Poker Players Championship on GGPoker. He collected 1.332.097 $, one of the largest online prizes of his career.
The event’s name should not be confused with the live 50.000 $ mixed-game Poker Players Championship. Hunichen’s result came in an online no-limit hold’em event. Its payout belongs in his online record and should be distinguished from the live tournament total.
2022: Third in the 250.000 $ Super High Roller
At the 2022 WSOP, Hunichen finished third in the 250.000 $ Super High Roller for 1.931.718 $. It was another major final-table result in one of the most expensive tournaments on the schedule.
The prize increased his career earnings considerably, but it did not end his wait for a bracelet. That contrast became an important feature of his record: he had already demonstrated the ability to compete for enormous prizes while still seeking his first WSOP title.
2024: A First Bracelet and a Career-Best Cash
Hunichen finally won his first WSOP bracelet in the 2024 100.000 $ High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event. He defeated Jeremy Ausmus heads-up and collected 2.838.389 $, the largest recorded live cash of his career. Viktor Blom finished third in the 112-entry tournament.
The final table featured several dramatic reversals, including a river nine that gave Hunichen trips against Ausmus’s pocket jacks in the last hand. The victory was emotional for Hunichen, who dedicated it to his late father. After years of substantial results and close calls, he could finally add a bracelet to his record.
Another Huge Result in the Same WSOP Summer
Hunichen followed his bracelet victory with third place in the 2024 WSOP 250.000 $ Super High Roller for 2.397.312 $. It was his second third-place finish in that tournament, following the 2022 result, and another exceptionally large payout.
Together, the 100.000 $ victory and 250.000 $ podium finish produced 5.235.701 $ in recorded prizes. That total describes cashes from the two events; it does not deduct entry fees or account for any financial arrangements with backers.
2026: A WSOPE Main Event Podium and a New Team
In April 2026, Hunichen finished third in the WSOP Europe Main Event in Prague for 800.000 €. Marius Kudzmanas won the tournament ahead of Akihiro Konishi. The event attracted a record 2.617 entries, giving Hunichen another deep championship run in a much larger field than a typical super high roller.
In May 2026, Americas Cardroom announced Hunichen as a new team professional alongside Alex Foxen and Chance Kornuth. The signing connected his long-established online identity with his more recent standing as a live WSOP champion.
Selected Tournament Milestones
| Year | Event and result | Recorded prize |
| 2017 | WSOP 5.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed — 2nd | 358.677 $ |
| 2017 | Caribbean Poker Party 25.500 $ Super High Roller — 1st | 400.000 $ |
| 2019 | EPT Barcelona 10.300 € High Roller — 1st after deal | 841.345 € |
| 2019 | MILLIONS World Bahamas Main Event — 3rd | 1.097.195 $ |
| 2020 | WSOP Online 25.000 $ NLH Poker Players Championship — 2nd | 1.332.097 $ — online prize |
| 2022 | WSOP 250.000 $ Super High Roller — 3rd | 1.931.718 $ |
| 2024 | WSOP 100.000 $ High Roller — 1st | 2.838.389 $ |
| 2024 | WSOP 250.000 $ Super High Roller — 3rd | 2.397.312 $ |
| 2026 | WSOP Europe Main Event — 3rd | 800.000 € |
Career Figures at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| Name | Christopher Brian Hunichen, commonly known as Chris Hunichen |
| Year of birth | 1984 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed residence | Clayton, North Carolina, United States |
| Known as | Big Huni |
| Recorded live tournament earnings | 19.095.514 $ |
| Best recorded live cash | 2.838.389 $ |
| Overall all-time money list | 84th — supplied Hendon Mob snapshot |
| United States all-time money list | 39th — supplied Hendon Mob snapshot |
| North Carolina all-time money list | 1st |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 — 2024 100.000 $ High Roller |
| Major European title | 2019 EPT Barcelona High Roller |
| WSOPE Main Event result | 3rd in 2026 — 800.000 € |
Career figures checked on October 25, 2026. Recorded live tournament earnings are gross cashes and exclude private cash-game results. Image positions refer to three separately supplied AI-generated illustrations created in October 2026.