English player James Akenhead started playing poker in London while involved in the professional pool circuit. He was hooked from the start and dedicated his time to learning more about the game.

Playing as often as he could in and around London, James honed his skills as part of the “Hit Squad”, a group of friends dedicated to becoming poker pros. It wasn’t long until he began to post successful tournament results, including several final tables.

In 2008, James achieved his first major cash, finishing in second place in the WSOP $1.5K No-Limit Hold ‘em event for more than $520K.
In 2009, James was a member of the November Nine at the 2009 WSOP Main Event final table. Arriving at the table as the short stack, James finished in 9th place, taking home over $1.2 million. 

James won his first major tournament in December 2009, scooping 1st place in Poker Million VIII in London. The $500K prize money capped an impressive year and brought his career tournament winnings to over $2.7 million.