Alec Torelli
| Alec Torelli | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | traheho |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Born | March 24, 1987 Newport Beach, California, U.S. |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 2 |
| Money finish(es) | 5 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | 11th, 2023 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 3 |
| Money finish(es) | 3 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 3 |
Alec Michael Torelli (born March 24, 1987), also known by his moniker Traheho, is a professional poker player from Orange County, California, who specializes in live high stakes cash games.[1][2] Torelli was formerly sponsored by Doyles Room.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Torelli graduated from Woodbridge High School (Irvine, California) in 2005 and became an Eagle Scout at age 17. He attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas on a scholarship but left during his freshman year to pursue professional poker.[4]
Personal life
[edit]He is married, holds dual United States and Italian citizenship,[5] and has visited over 50 countries. He practices daily meditation[6] and runs “WHealthier,” a wellness investment syndicate on AngelList.[7]
Poker career
[edit]Torelli began playing poker in 2003 and made his first major final table at the 2006 Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic, earning $39,730.[8] He then moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he won the 2007 FTOPS Main Event for $288,000 and ranked 9th among Full Tilt Poker’s top winners with $1.1M in cash game profits.[9]
After turning 21, Torelli moved to Las Vegas, where he finished second in the 2008 WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up event, winning $336,896.[10] In 2009, he placed sixth in the WSOP $40,000 40th-anniversary event[11] and fourth in the Bellagio Cup V, cashing $329,730 and $271,165 respectively.[12][13]
In late 2008, Torelli won back-to-back events at the Bellagio WPT Fiesta al Lago, earning $84,100 and $120,715.[14]
In 2009, Doyle Brunson selected Torelli as the first member of the "Brunson 10" pros sponsored by Doyles Room.[15]
From 2012 to 2015, Torelli lived in Macau and played high-stakes cash games at the StarWorld and Wynn casinos.[16][17] He has also been featured on partypoker Big Game, Poker Night in America, Live at the Bike, and Hustler Casino Live.[18][19]
Torelli returned to the WSOP Main Event in 2023, finishing 11th and earning $700,000.[20] and followed it up with a 3rd place finish in the 2024 WSOP Mid Stakes Championship earning $517,000.https://pokerguru.in/poker-news/2024-wsop_clementrichez-16072024/
He was an ambassador for PokerStars.it in 2013[21] and currently represents Phenom Poker, a decentralized poker platform.[22]
TV and media
[edit]In 2010, Torelli appeared in Entourage Season 7,[23] the documentary A Kid’s Game: The Story of Online Poker,[24] and on Brain Games in 2020. His 2017 interview on motivation with psychologist Bobby Hoffman was later cited in Psychology Today and included in the academic text Motivation for Learning and Performance.[25]
Public speaking
[edit]He has delivered talks at USC, Cisco, and the Women’s President’s Organization on topics like decision-making and risk-taking.[26][27]
Publications
[edit]In May 2020, he published The Poker Coach: Practical Strategies to Manage Your Bankroll and Outsmart Your Opponents, a book focused on poker strategy and helping others reach their poker goals.[28]
Torelli has contributed strategy articles and commentary to several poker publications, including Bluff Magazine, PokerNews, and CardPlayer Magazine.[29][30][31] In 2015, he launched his YouTube channel, Conscious Poker, where he breaks down poker hands and answers viewer questions.[32]
Controversy
[edit]In 2017, a hand on Poker Night in America sparked allegations of angle shooting after two $5,000 chips were concealed behind smaller denominations. Opponent Daniel Wolf misjudged Torelli’s stack and lost a pot worth $10,000 more than expected.[33] While Torelli apologized and offered Wolf a future stake, Doug Polk publicly criticized the incident,[34] prompting responses from Torelli[35] and defenses by Daniel Negreanu, Brian Rast, and Charlie Carrel.[36] Torelli responded on his YouTube channel[37] and in an interview on the “Nick Vertucci Show”. Torelli was defended by poker professionals Daniel Negreanu, Brian Rast and Charlie Carrel, who deemed the controversy to be disproportionate and unfair.
References
[edit]- ^ Arnett, Kristy (November 26, 2013). "Strategy with Kristy: Alec Torelli Talks How to Decide If You Should Go Play Poker". PokerNews Global. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ "Hellmuth, Elias, Shak Confirmed for This Weekend's Poker Night in America SugarHouse". PokerNews.com. April 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ Murphy, Stephen A. (August 18, 2009). "'The Brunson 10' Hopes to Take DoylesRoom to New Heights". CardPlayer. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ^ Dunn, Samantha (November 4, 2024). "Do card games teach life lessons? A pro poker player says yes". The Union Democrat.
- ^ "About Alec Torelli".
- ^ "How Meditation Changed My Life".
- ^ "WHealthier Syndicate".
- ^ "2006 UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic: Hendon Mob".
- ^ Green, Shawn Patrick (February 18, 2007). "Online Poker: Traheho Wins FTOPS Main Event".
- ^ "Kenny Tran is the New Heads-Up Champion". Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ "2009 WSOP - Event 2: $40K NLH".
- ^ "Black Friday Chronicles: Alec Torelli".
- ^ "Alexandre Gomes Wins Bellagio Cup V".
- ^ Rodriguez, Julio. "Alec Torelli Goes Back-to-Back at Bellagio".
- ^ "Alec Torelli Signs with Doyle's Room".
- ^ "Cash Games in Macau – Alec Torelli".
- ^ "Poker Scene in Macau – PokerTube".
- ^ "Alec Torelli - Poker Night in America".
- ^ "HIGH STAKES $25/50/100 - Hustler Casino Live".
- ^ "Making Day 8 at the WSOP: PokerNews".
- ^ "Alec Torelli and PokerStars.it".
- ^ "Phenom Poker - Alec Torelli".
- ^ "Entourage Season 7 Promo".
- ^ "A Kid's Game - DocumentaryTube".
- ^ Hoffman, Bobby (2015). Motivation for Learning and Performance. doi:10.1016/C2013-0-18335-3. ISBN 978-0-12-800779-2.
- ^ "Hire Alec Torelli to Speak".
- ^ "USC Keynote: Alec Torelli".
- ^ "The Poker Coach by Alec Torelli". Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Poker News - Alec Torelli". CardPlayer. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "PokerNews Editors". Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Bluff Magazine Contributor Index". Archived from the original on March 26, 2010.
- ^ "Conscious Poker by Alec Torelli - YouTube". Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Torelli Responds to Polk Accusations – CardsChat".
- ^ "Did Alec Torelli Angle Shoot?" – via YouTube.
- ^ "Torelli's Response on YouTube".
- ^ @RealKidPoker (July 26, 2018). "Daniel Negreanu tweet".
- ^ "Alec Torelli Response to Doug Polk: The REAL & UNEDITED STORY (Torelli vs. Wolf - PNIA)". YouTube. July 3, 2017.