Hailing from Williamsburg, Virginia, Cole South is a 22 year-old professional poker player best known for his online high-stakes cash game dominance. He began playing on Party Poker in 2005 under the name ‘CTS’. Since grinding micro-stakes with his initial $50 deposit, South has moved up to become one of the most feared nose-bleed stakes ring game specialists in the world.
An economics student at Georgetown University, South’s poker mindset is both analytical and mathematical. In his Poker Journal on ESPN.com, he wrote, “Poker is a game based on mathematics (probability and expectation in particular) and should be treated this way. Bets, folds, raises, bluffs, and all poker decisions should be evaluated solely on their expected value, not because a certain action feels right.”
While he primarily sticks to online play, South has one World Series of Poker cash to his credit – an impressive 162nd in the 2009 Main Event for $40K. He is still young, however, and figures to have a bigger presence on the live tournament circuit in the coming years.
In 2009, South shared Isildur1 hand histories with Brian Townsend, a practice in violation of Full Tilt Poker’s rules. When Townsend went on to beat Isildur1 for $5 million, he was suspended for a month by Full Tilt Poker, but South avoided punishment.
With a bankroll in excess of $3 million, Cole South has experienced more than a few epics swings in his young career. In February of 2010, he won $3.5 million only to lose $2.6 million back the very next month. The two month stretch included days where he both won and lost more than $1 million in a single sitting.
Up until very recently, Cole South was a lead instructor and part owner of renowned online training site CardRunners.com. On May 1, 2010, he left the site in all capacities, stating personal reasons.
South plays online on Full Tilt Poker as sponsored pro ‘Cole South’. Away from the tables, he studies and enjoys life with his girlfriend in Washington, D.C.