The only problem is that Max busted yesterday.
In actuality the player in the 2013 WSOPE Main Event with a huge stack is twin brother Daniel Steinberg. The long hair is a major tip-off.
Over the last couple years Daniel's brother Max has been soaking up the spotlight in the poker world with notable scores at the WSOP, WPT and EPT. Max won his first bracelet last year and nearly picked up another this summer.
There’s no sibling rivalry, according to Daniel.
“I’m just super jealous and bitter,” joked Daniel. “No, it’s awesome. I’m incredibly happy for him. I’ve had so much fun watching him. I want him to win as much as I want myself to win.”
Twin Brothers Took Up Poker in Their Teens
The Steinberg brothers grew up playing poker together in Fairfield, Iowa. Their father gifted them $50 on an online poker site when they turned 17 and they eventually ran it up.
Perhaps unsurprisingly their poker games progressed at the same rate.
“It just seemed like every year financially we’d do the same,” laughed Daniel. “It went well for both of us.”
Prior to Black Friday both Daniel and Max continued to succeed at poker and Daniel even made the final table of the 2010 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. He eventually finished sixth for $241,477.
Eventually Max and Daniel’s paths diverged when Daniel got a job in the financial industry in Chicago and Max pursued poker full time. While Daniel was busy crunching numbers for the last eight years, his mind still wandered back to poker and every now and then he’d call up Max and discuss an idea he had about the game.
“Poker has been a part of my life since I was very young,” he said. “I still love talking about it.”
Meanwhile Max has been dominating the poker circuit for the last year, being showcased on ESPN and even picking up a sponsorship deal with 888poker for the WSOPE.
Daniel Pondering a Return to the Poker World
Recently Daniel decided to quit his finance job and his been planning his next step for the last while.
Max told him he was going to the 2013 WSOPE for 888poker and Daniel decided to tag along, especially considering how he did in this event in 2010.
Daniel’s eventual result in the WSOPE Main Event may play a part in what he decides to do with the rest of his life.
“This tournament is a lot of fun,” said Daniel. “Hopefully it gives me a boost to maybe start playing poker as a career again.”
One assumes if Daniel does decide to take up poker once again he’ll have the full support of Max. Despite the inherent conflict involved in poker, Daniel has never viewed his brother as a rival at the poker table.
“Playing against Max is impossible,” said Daniel. “We know each other too well to have any sort of good reasoning.”
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