2026-09-17 · Daily Mail
🔮 Gary Benson was an inaugural member of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame with career earnings of $2,826,031, putting him 20th on the local all-time money list.
The 69-year-old has his own Wikipedia entry and holds a World Series of Poker bracelet, the most coveted non-monetary prize a player can win on the international circuit.
He has also practised as a chartered accountant since 1985 and specialised for three decades in advising Australian poker players on their tax obligations in the US.
Benson's 52-year-old sometime rival Michael O'Grady might be less well known on the poker tour but still ranks 56th on the Australian money list, with career earnings of $1,657,979.
As well as playing cards, O'Grady also likes to bet big on sports - AFL, NRL, NFL, UFC, motor racing, tennis, soccer and golf - and found in Benson someone prepared to accept his private bets.
O'Grady and Benson, both from Sydney, had known each other for several years when they became involved in an ongoing gambling arrangement which landed them both in court. mixed
The Aporia