The Amazing Story of Ted and Michele Lawson’s Poker Success
If you love a good story about winning big at the tables, you are going to absolutely love this one. Today, we are looking at the incredible journey of Ted and Michele Lawson. They are not just an ordinary husband and wife; they are a true poker power couple. In fact, they are among the very few couples to have ever won WSOP gold bracelets.
Let me break down how this dynamic duo conquered the poker world and made history!
A Legendary World Series of Poker Run
If you watched the World Series of Poker on ESPN back during the poker boom in 2004, you probably remember Ted Lawson. He took down a massive Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. For those who don’t know, Pot-Limit Omaha (often called PLO) is a fun, high-action poker game where you get four starting cards instead of two, but you must use exactly two of them to make your best hand.
Ted beat a super tough final table that included famous pros like Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, and Freddy Deeb. His impressive victory earned him a whopping $500,000. For nearly two decades, he was the only one in the family with the ultimate poker trophy, but that all changed recently when his wife stepped into the spotlight.
Winning More WSOP Gold Bracelets
Fast forward to November 2024. His wife of over 40 years, Michele Lawson, decided it was time to get some poker hardware of her own. She entered a massive online poker tournament and outlasted over 1,200 other players!
Michele won her event for a cool $41,567 and grabbed her very own piece of gold. Now, both Ted and Michele Lawson have their names firmly written in poker history. Winning WSOP gold bracelets as a married couple is incredibly rare, with only a handful of couples – like Alex and Kristen Foxen – ever achieving this amazing milestone.
A month after her big win, Michele proved it was no fluke. The couple traveled to the Bahamas for the WSOP Paradise series. There, she made a deep run in a massive $1M Invitational event, finishing in 8th place for nearly $20,000!
From Business Partners to Poker Pros
Before they were crushing it at the World Series of Poker, the Lawsons were crushing it in the business world. After getting married in 1983, they opened an insurance agency together. Ted sold used cars, and since you need insurance to drive off the lot, he sent all his customers right over to Michele.
Their business grew massively over the years, eventually expanding into 40 different agencies. In 1998, they took their companies public on Nasdaq. Being great bosses, they made sure all their employees got stock options to share in the wealth, and after eventually selling their business and retiring, they finally had the time to take poker seriously.
A Miracle Before the Poker Glory
Their journey to becoming poker champions wasn’t always smooth sailing. Years ago, Ted was involved in a horrific, life-threatening car accident. A large dump truck ran a red light and hit his car broadside, sending him flying through the passenger window.
Miraculously, Ted recovered completely from his severe injuries. It was after surviving this terrifying crash and retiring that he focused heavily on his poker game. Michele soon followed in his footsteps, proving that they are both fighters at and away from the poker tables.
Ted and Michele Lawson: Quick Facts
To summarize their amazing achievements, here is a quick look at their biggest poker tournament highlights:
| Player | Year of Win | Event Won | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Lawson | 2004 | $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | $500,000 |
| Michele Lawson | 2024 | WSOP Online Event #27 NLH | $41,567 |
Today, Ted and Michele Lawson have relocated to Virginia, but still travel the world to play the games they love. Recently, Michele was cheering Ted on as he made a deep run in the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event in Prague .
If Ted happens to win another of these prestigious WSOP gold bracelets, Michele joked that she will just have to win another poker tournament to keep the score even! Whether playing online or live, they continue to show us that the couple that plays together, wins together. Have you ever thought about playing with your significant other? If you are looking for a shared interest that includes travel and bonding, just register at one of the best online poker sites we recommend, and go for joint bragging rights!
