Not all celebrities will attain global fame. Instead, they might become regionally or thematically famous. For example, the name Joey Chestnut might ring a vague bell in the heads of many. But only those who regularly follow eating contests would know that Chestnut is currently ranked Number One in the world of competitive eating.
The same is true for video games. Now that eSports teams and leagues are the subject of global headlines, players like Faker and s1imple are well-known like traditional sports athletes—even if their real names aren’t quite as catchy as their gamer names. But what about the unique subgenre of card games?
Like tabletop games and board games, card games might be smaller compared to eSports crowds—but fans are just as passionate and professionals are just as talented. Let’s dive into the world’s most popular card games and professional players, starting with the oldest: poker.
Poker
If you’ve ever played poker, then it was most likely the most common variation: Texas Hold’em. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event consists of no-limit Texas Hold’em poker—which is likely how you’ve heard of some of the biggest names in this industry, from Phil Hellmuth to Phil Ivey.
However, it’s important to note that virtual platforms such as PokerStars also feature other variations of the game, including Omaha. And there are plenty of other big-name pros aside from WSOP stars. Beyond live tournaments, many pros create other types of poker content that earn them massive followings. Lex Veldhuis, for example, is a poker pro known for his Twitch channels. Jennifer Shahade, on the other hand, is known for her exploratory podcast on various poker hands.
Magic: The Gathering
Similar to poker, Magic: The Gathering has been around for a while—and it’s hugely benefitted from ‘going digital’ back in 2002 (and then again with a separate release in 2018). Since then, the game has become more accessible for remote players who might not be able to head to a larger tournament or even to compete or collect cards. The latter is especially important, as this collectible card game requires players to slowly build an unbeatable deck.
The player pool is a bit smaller than poker, with between five and six million regular monthly players. But it has a comparatively developed list of celebrities. At the moment Kai Budde and Jon Finkel are considered some of the best players in the world. However, there are plenty of up-and-comers to keep an eye on, including 2023’s Global Champion Jean-Emmanuel Depraz.
Hearthstone
Officially, Magic: The Gathering is listed as a CCG or collectible card game. However, card games like Hearthstone are officially dubbed DCCGs or digital collectible card games. That’s because they were originally released digitally and have always been the subject of virtual competitions. Back in 2014, Hearthstone was released to build on the lore and popularity of the World of Warcraft series.
Since then, it’s become a hugely popular DCCG, regularly hosting competitions on par with WSOP and annual global competitions for Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. Last year, the Hearthstone World Championship included a prize pool of $500,000, of which sixteen players (pulled from three separate leagues) competed for.
Gwent
Gwent is one of the latest DCCGs to take off—and it’s all thanks to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Developers at CD Projekt Red decided to include a collectible card game to add depth and texture to the open-world RPG. The game ended up being so popular that it was re-released in 2016 as its own stand-alone DCCG game.
Since then, it’s risen quickly to become as popular as other DCCGs like Hearthstone. The GWENT Masters eSports series runs globally and culminates in various live events, similar to online poker. Because it’s such a new game, however, there aren’t quite as many star Gwent players to have stepped into the limelight. Benjamin Pfannstiel and Fred Bird are the world’s top-earning players, having both taken home more than $150,000 in lifetime earnings.
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