Robert Campbell – From Pokemon to the Top of Poker

It took five articles in this series before I finally reached a player whose origin story doesn’t begin with Magic: The Gathering. In this article, we can learn about how “SonicJaxx”, aka Robert Campbell poker results were drawn from his unique strength as a TCG player. For that, we owe him some gratitude and perhaps a spoiler alert, too, because it was Pokemon TCG that laid the foundation for his career.

Campbell is recognized as one of the world’s top Pokemon players and has earned two WSOP bracelets – while still being a TCG player. In 2019, he was honored as the WSOP Player of the Year. The poker journey of Robert Campbell is detailed on his separate player page as well.

A Distinctive Story

Born in Melbourne, Campbell was completely immersed in the world of Pokemon story as a child, particularly its competitive card game (The Trading Card Game). He rose through the Australian ranks at a young age, establishing himself as a top-tier player.

Then came a turning point. As a teenager, he started spending time around the poker tables of Melbourne’s iconic Crown Casino. He was drawn to the tension, the focused silence, the art of bluffing, and the subtle reading of opponents. Around the same time, he also pursued a short career in stand-up comedy. For two years, he performed in the Australian comedy scene, bringing geeky charm and quirky characters to the stage. His time with a microphone sharpened his composure under pressure. As he later explained:

“Stand-up taught me how to deal with tension. You have to keep going even when there’s no laughter, just like pushing through when the right card never comes.”

Campbell’s online poker identity, SonicJaxx, was not inspired by the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. Instead, it was a tribute to two of his favorite bands: Sonic Animation and Basement Jaxx. His unique presence quickly made him a recognizable figure in the poker world, a clever mix of nerdy energy and showman charisma that stood out at the table.

Outstanding poker careers can lead in different ways. Despote Cambell started to get familiar with poker in his local sasinos small stake tables, you can do the same fcomfordtably from your home in online poker rooms like ACR Poker or Stake Poker .

2019: The Breakout Year

At the 2019 World Series of Poker, Robert Campbell poker performance was really memorable. He won not just one but two bracelets and was crowned Player of the Year, ahead of legends like Daniel Negreanu and Shaun Deeb. His victories came in the following:

$1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw – total $144,027

$10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better – total $385,763

In the $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw event, he faced veteran David Bach in a grueling and technically demanding heads-up battle. According to the WSOP coverage, Campbell remained calm and composed throughout, showing the same poise under pressure he had mastered years earlier on the Pokemon tournament circuit.

The Grandmother Who Started It All

One of the most touching stories from Campbell’s life involves his grandmother. In an interview with PokerNews, he shared how she introduced him to competitive gaming by handing him 20 cents and encouraging him to join a small local game. But then she sat down to play and dominated herself. As Campbell shared it in case of more interviews:

“All the other people I’d stake down the road… my grandmother was just 100 percent of the time crushing faces.”

Her confidence and competitive spirit left a lasting impression. It also inspired Campbell to begin staking other players later in his career. In many ways, she was his first “staking guru,” even if her influence stayed within the family.

Neon Esports and a New Chapter in Competitive Gaming

Campbell’s influence isn’t confined to the past. Today, he brings his strategic mind to the world of esports as the leader of Neon Esports, a rising Dota 2 team based in Southeast Asia. It’s rare for a world-class poker professional to take such an active role in a completely different, team-based game, but Robert Campbell poker path has never been one to follow a traditional route.

Neon Esports has competed in several major Dota 2 events, including regional SEA championships and qualifiers for prestigious tournaments like the Dota Pro Circuit and ESL One. Campbell’s role goes far beyond a ceremonial title. He is involved in recruiting talent, offering mentoring support, and helping shape the team’s draft strategies. His expertise in patience, mental endurance, and long-term tactical planning has found a new application in esports.

The connection between poker and Dota 2 might not be obvious, but for Campbell, both are deeply layered systems that reward discipline and adaptability. He isn’t a “for-profit” manager, because his Twitch streams often include behind-the-scenes insights, personal stories, and well-timed jokes, as if he’s still entertaining a poker table between hands.

Through Neon Esports, he has reconnected with the communal excitement of competitive play that first captivated him during his early period as a TCG player. This time, though, he competes not as an individual Pokemon player, but as someone responsible for guiding an entire team. It’s a new challenge, but also a new source of inspiration.

Final Deal

SonicJaxx is far from your typical poker player. He’s the guy who started dealing with cards as a Pokemon player, took the stage as a stand-up comic, learned mental strength from his grandmother, and went on to win major titles under the lights of Las Vegas. Now, Robert Campbell poker table performance continues to surprise and inspire, just like his results in the world of professional esports.