Martin Kläser

From Amateur to WSOP Bracelet Winner in Less Than a Year

“That’s what I dreamed of every day, every day. I want to have one of those and now I have one.” – Martin Kläser after receiving his WSOP bracelet

Martin Kläser plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

Every aspiring poker player dreams of turning pro and winning a World Series of Poker bracelet - Martin Kläser is living the dream. In a little less than a year he has gone from an amateur player to a poker professional with a WSOP bracelet to call his own. Here's how Martin was able to take his dream and turn it into reality:

Getting Started

Born and raised in Cologne, Germany, 21-year old Kläser began playing poker while still a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Rheinbach. He quickly fell in love with the game and, with his father’s support and encouragement, dedicated his efforts to becoming a solid all-around player. Martin played his first live tournament in Cologne in December 2006 and, though he didn’t make the money, the experience further solidified his passion for the game and the competition. He began to play at Full Tilt Poker almost daily, steadily working on improving his tournament skills and results in large, multi-table events. He even began working in a local casino to further enhance his education.

The Million Euro Challenge

In August 2007, Full Tilt Poker announced the Million Euro Challenge, an exclusive series of Freeroll tournaments for players in and around Germany. By qualifying online, he won a seat to a 2,100 player tournament in Cologne. After battling his way through the field, Martin orchestrated an impressive final table performance to secure the victory and a trip to Munich where he would play a final table with five other amateurs for a €50,000 first-place prize and the chance to play heads up against three members of Team Full Tilt for up to €1 million in additional prize money.

Once again, Martin prevailed and soon, he was receiving private instruction from Team Full Tilt members Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman and Erik Seidel in preparation for his televised heads-up battles with Team Full Tilt’s Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Gus Hansen.

When the cameras rolled, Martin put everything he learned online and from his coaches to good use, defeating both Ferguson and Hansen before losing the rubber match to Lederer. The performance earned him €350,000 and a spot on the Full Tilt Poker pro roster.

Life as a Pro

Since turning professional, Martin has continued to be a regular presence both online and at live events around the world, regularly chatting and playing with Tilters in online MTTs and at events like the Aussie Millions.

In June 2008, Martin scored the biggest victory of his still young career, winning his first WSOP bracelet and more than $216,000 in the very competitive $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better event. Making the victory even sweeter for Martin was that he got to share the final table experience with one of his mentors from Munich, Team Full Tilt’s Erik Seidel, who finished fourth.

Martin’s victory makes him one of the youngest WSOP bracelet winners in history, but Martin says he still has more to learn – and to teach other young aspiring players about the game. Learn, Chat, and Play along with Martin and the rest of the Full Tilt Poker pros exclusively at Full Tilt Poker.