Thomas Marchese: The Rise of Kingsofcards
Thomas Marchese, widely known as Tom Marchese and by the online screen name Kingsofcards, is an American professional poker player born in 1987. His career links the online cash-game generation with the growth of high roller tournaments in Las Vegas. A breakout North American Poker Tour victory in 2010 was followed by major results at Bellagio, ARIA and the World Series of Poker.
The Hendon Mob figures checked for this profile record 19.153.692 $ in live tournament earnings and a best live cash of 1.574.518 $. The supplied ranking snapshot places him 83rd worldwide, 38th among United States players and third on the New Jersey money list. He also owns a WSOP bracelet, won online in 2023.
Born in 1987 in New Jersey
Marchese was born on September 30, 1987, and comes from Parsippany, New Jersey. He became a professional while still a young college student, developing his game online before his first major live results arrived. The Hendon Mob lists his residence as Las Vegas, Nevada.
His early story belongs to a period when online players were increasingly moving into televised live tournaments. Marchese brought an established online background to the transition, rather than learning the game through the festival circuit alone.
Kingsofcards and an Online Foundation
Before becoming a familiar name in live results, Marchese played online under the name Kingsofcards. His early Hendon Mob biography describes him primarily as an online cash-game professional who also recorded substantial online tournament results.
The screen name remained part of his public identity as his live career developed. It is still included in his Hendon Mob profile, although his later WSOP online bracelet was won under a different account name. Following both names helps connect the various parts of his record.
2010: A Breakthrough at the Venetian
In February 2010, Marchese won the inaugural NAPT Venetian Main Event in Las Vegas. The 5.000 $ tournament attracted 872 players, and the 22-year-old champion collected 827.648 $ after defeating Sam Stein heads-up.
The victory came very early in his live tournament career, shortly after a third-place finish at the Borgata Winter Poker Open. Overcoming a substantial chip disadvantage against Stein gave Marchese a major title in the first NAPT event held on American soil and immediately established him as a player to follow.
Card Player Player of the Year
Marchese’s 2010 season continued well beyond the Venetian win. He finished the year with 11 final tables and two tournament titles, collecting more than two million dollars in live tournament prizes. Card Player named him its 2010 Player of the Year.
His winning total of 6.738 points reflected a full season of results. The award is an important part of his biography because it shows that the NAPT breakthrough was followed by sustained performance, rather than remaining an isolated early success.
2012: Winning the Bellagio Super High Roller
Marchese moved further into the highest buy-ins by winning the 2012 WPT World Championship 100.000 $ Super High Roller at Bellagio. He defeated Andrew Robl heads-up and received a listed first-place package worth 1.308.405 $. WPT’s event report notes that the prize included a 25.500 $ seat in the following season’s championship.
The final hand saw Marchese’s pocket eights beat Robl’s ace-four after Marchese flopped a set. John Juanda finished third. The result was a major high roller victory and a clear progression from the larger-field 5.000 $ event that had introduced him to the wider poker audience.
2014: A Series of Seven-Figure Results
In June 2014, Marchese finished third in the Bellagio 100.000 $ Super High Roller for 1.465.451 $. The event ended with a four-handed deal involving Dan Smith, Jason Mercier, Marchese and Jason Somerville, each securing a seven-figure payout.
He then won the ARIA 100.000 $ Super High Roller in September for 1.306.800 $, beating Cary Katz heads-up. The combination of a large negotiated payout at Bellagio and an outright ARIA victory made 2014 one of the defining years of his high stakes career.
His Largest Recorded Cash: WPT Alpha8
Marchese’s largest recorded live cash came from second place in the December 2014 WPT Alpha8 event at Bellagio, won by Andrew Lichtenberger. The Hendon Mob records Marchese’s payout as 1.574.518 $, reflecting a heads-up deal.
Contemporary WPT updates show the scheduled runner-up amount of 1.240.965 $, while later reporting describes the agreement that increased Marchese’s payout. The career-best figure used here follows The Hendon Mob. His biggest cash therefore came from a runner-up finish, rather than from one of his tournament victories.
ARIA and the Super High Roller Bowl
ARIA became an important venue in Marchese’s career. In addition to his seven-figure victory in 2014, he won consecutive high roller events there in early 2015, collecting a combined 681.876 $. Repeated results helped establish him as a regular contender in the casino’s growing high stakes tournament programme.
He also finished sixth in the inaugural 500.000 $ Super High Roller Bowl in 2015 for 1.075.000 $. The tournament was won by Brian Rast. Marchese’s cash added another seven-figure result in a field built around some of the best-known high stakes professionals.
2016: A Deep WSOP Main Event Run
Marchese’s best WSOP Main Event finish came in 2016, when he placed 14th for 427.930 $. It was a different challenge from the small high roller fields that supplied many of his largest prizes, requiring a deep run through the series’ flagship championship.
The finish brought him close to the final table without reaching it. Alongside his high roller results, it gives his record a broader shape: a major NAPT title, expensive invitational-style fields and a late appearance in poker’s best-known open tournament.
2019: MILLIONS Vegas Champion
Marchese won the inaugural partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Vegas Main Event at ARIA in July 2019 for 1.000.000 $. He topped a field of 536 entries and defeated Jeremy Ausmus heads-up, with Ana Marquez finishing third.
The victory added another major festival main-event title almost a decade after his NAPT breakthrough. It also reinforced his connection with ARIA, a venue where he had already achieved several of the largest results of his career.
2023: A First WSOP Bracelet Online
On July 11, 2023, Marchese won the WSOP Online 1.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max Championship for 195.963 $. Playing under the name looter, he defeated Limper123 heads-up in an event that attracted 1.170 entries and was available to players in Nevada and New Jersey.
The victory delivered his first WSOP bracelet after years of major live results. He had previously finished runner-up in a 2015 WSOP Pot-Limit Hold’em event. The online title belongs in his championship record, while its prize should be distinguished from the live earnings total.
Selected Tournament Milestones
| Year | Event and result | Recorded prize |
| 2010 | NAPT Venetian Main Event — 1st | 827.648 $ |
| 2012 | WPT World Championship Super High Roller — 1st | 1.308.405 $ — includes championship seat |
| 2014 | Bellagio 100.000 $ Super High Roller — 3rd after deal | 1.465.451 $ |
| 2014 | ARIA 100.000 $ Super High Roller — 1st | 1.306.800 $ |
| 2014 | WPT Alpha8 Bellagio — 2nd after deal | 1.574.518 $ — Hendon Mob record |
| 2015 | Super High Roller Bowl — 6th | 1.075.000 $ |
| 2016 | WSOP Main Event — 14th | 427.930 $ |
| 2019 | partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Vegas Main Event — 1st | 1.000.000 $ |
| 2023 | WSOP Online 1.000 $ NLH Six-Max Championship — 1st | 195.963 $ — online prize |
Reading Marchese’s Career Record
Marchese’s strongest live results are concentrated in the 2010s, particularly the Las Vegas high roller circuit. The database checked for this profile contains much lighter activity in later years, including his 2023 WSOP appearances. A reduced public tournament record does not establish retirement or reveal private cash-game participation.
His career totals also require the usual distinction between cashes and profit. Recorded prizes do not deduct entry fees, re-entries, travel costs or arrangements with backers. The most useful evidence of his achievements remains the titles, final tables and verified results themselves.
Career Figures at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| Name | Thomas Marchese, commonly known as Tom Marchese |
| Year of birth | 1987 |
| Hometown | Parsippany, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed residence | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Recorded live tournament earnings | 19.153.692 $ |
| Best recorded live cash | 1.574.518 $ |
| Overall all-time money list | 83rd |
| United States all-time money list | 38th |
| New Jersey all-time money list | 3rd |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 — 2023 online Six-Max Championship |
| Best WSOP Main Event finish | 14th in 2016 — 427.930 $ |
| Online names | Kingsofcards; looter on WSOP.com |
| Major annual award | 2010 Card Player Player of the Year |
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.