Bruce Buffer is the official octagon announcer for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), known as the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon".
He regularly plays poker, with his best result coming in 2024 when he finished eighth in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #39: $50,000 High Roller for $212,423.
Bruce Buffer Background
Buffer was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and first started martial arts as a teenager. He gave up the sport in his 30s and transitioned into being a full-time ring announcer, a gig that began with UFC 13.
"I'd Love To Take His Money!"—Bruce Buffer says Logan Paul Would Be "An Excellent Poker Player"
Bruce Buffer Poker History
As well as being a ring announcer, Buffer has a close relationship with poker, which started as a child and began to blossom after after a deep run in the Season III World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational.
"Poker is something I started at a very young age," Buffer told PokerNews in 2011. "My father, who loved to play blackjack and poker, taught me all about gambling, literally, when I was eight years old.
"In 2005, the first tournament I ever entered was at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City when I was there doing a UFC. I wound up bubbling the final table, so that sort of fueled my fire."
The World Poker Tour Invitational in 2005 had a field of 238 players, with Buffer eliminating Carlos Mortensen and making it to a final table that featured Chris Ferguson, Chau Giang and Alex Brenes. Buffer finished sixth for $5,000.
"I was on TV playing and that just set me off to the point where I knew now I had a chance to really make money at this, something I truly loved and enjoyed."
Off the back of this result, Buffer's involvement in poker intensified. He became a "Friend of Full Tilt" off the back of his deep WPT run and opened the Bruce Buffer High-Stakes Poker Room at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas.
"I think only four other people had rooms named after them in Vegas, if I’m not mistaken. So to be able to say I’m one of the five, it was a great run, great for my résumé."
Over the years, he has announced the traditional "Shuffle up and deal" at numerous events including the World Series of Poker Main Event, the PokerStars Poker Players Championship and the WPT Shooting Star. He also appeared on Poker After Dark’s “Fight Night” in 2021, only to be eliminated by Daniel Negreanu.
Prior to his WSOP final table, Buffer's biggest cash came in 2010 when he won the Grand Slam of Poker Main Event at the Hustler Casino in Los Angeles.
The $225 buy-in tournament saw 1,484 players enter, creating a $286,600 prize pool. Buffer took home $75,000 for his efforts.
Bruce Buffer Top Five Poker Cashes
| Year | Event | Position | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $50,000 WSOP High Roller | 8th | $212,423 |
| 2010 | $225 Grand Slam of Poker | 1st | $75,000 |
| 2007 | $1,060 LA Poker Classic | 3rd | $40,420 |
| 2011 | $250 Liz Flynt Spring Poker Classic | 3rd | $28,000 |
| 2010 | $10,000 WSOP Main Event | 478th | $27,519 |
Bruce Buffer FAQs
What is Bruce Buffer's net worth?
Bruce Buffer's net worth is estimated to be between $12 and $14 million, as of June 2024.
Is Bruce Buffer good at poker?
Bruce Buffer has over $500,000 in tournament earnings, including a WSOP final table.
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