Player Spotlight: Anthony Zinno
You won’t often find Anthony Zinno at the poker table dressed like a slob or looking angry. He not only has style but is always positive even when the cards aren’t going his way.
Prior to turning pro, Zinno earned a degree in chemical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and then graduated from Suffolk University Law School. With over $150,000 in student debt, he chose poker instead of practicing law despite having already passed the Bar.
“So, after my third year of law school I had a big decision to make, I knew I was going to finish law school but what am I going to do after?” he told Poker Central in 2017. “When I was coming out we were going into a recession and it didn’t look promising for a career as a patent attorney. I love traveling and figured I’d give poker my best shot.”
“I graduated, passed the Bar and decided to play poker for a living right then and there,” Zinno continued. “It was way before Black Friday and I was grinding out a decent living. But I had $150,000 is student loan debt over my head and never practiced as an attorney.”
It turned out to be the right play. Zinno, 38, is one of the most consistent tournament players in the world. He’s been a rousing success on the World Poker Tour, having won three Main Tour events and made two additional final tables. Anthony always seems to be in contention late in WPT events.
In 2015, he won his first and only WSOP bracelet – $1,122,196 in $25,000 High Roller Pot Limit Omaha. That win is still the biggest of his career. He has over $8.2 million in live tournament cashes. It was definitely a smart decision to choose poker over practicing law.
