Luke Martinelli is an elite Australian professional poker player and a fixture of the Melbourne poker scene. He is a member of the prestigious $1,000,000 milestone club for live earnings and has long been considered one of Australia’s most consistent tournament threats.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

With $1,326,890 in total live earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, Martinelli is currently ranked 66th on the Australia All-Time Money List. His career is defined by high-volume consistency, with over $143,000 in winnings recorded in 2025 alone.

His career-best live cash of ~$256,668 was achieved in December 2018 for a 1st place victory in the A$20,000 High Roller at the WSOP International Circuit in Sydney. Other major highlights include:

~$145,302 (AUD 201,895) – 4th place in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit Sydney Main Event in 2018.
~$52,399 (AUD 80,000) – 2nd place in the PlayLive Melbourne Main Event in September 2025.
~$36,400 (AUD 56,030) – 2nd place in the Crown Poker Series 5K Challenge in Melbourne in August 2025.
~$19,402 (AUD $30,255) – 9th place in the Victorian Poker Championship Main Event in May 2025.
~$12,603 (AUD 19,300) – 2nd place in the PlayLive The Hydra in Melbourne in November 2025.

Luke Martinelli – Photo Credit PokerNews

Biography & Poker Background

Originally from and residing in Melbourne, Australia, Martinelli is a powerhouse on both the live and online circuits. Under the screen name “lmar54,” he has amassed over $1,025,516 in online earnings, ranking as high as #194 in the world online.

His live career spans over a decade, with his first recorded cashes dating back to 2011. While he frequently travels for major series like the WSOP in Las Vegas and the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Cyprus, his primary focus remains the high-stakes scene at Crown Melbourne and various Australian Poker League (APL) and World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime events across Oceania.

Play Style & Strategy

Luke Martinelli is characterized by his technical versatility and deep-stack proficiency.

High-Volume Grinder: He is known for playing a massive schedule, often entering multiple events in a single series and excelling in both standard No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha formats.
ICM Awareness: His consistent final table appearances in high-stakes “Challenge” and Main Event formats suggest a highly disciplined approach to endgame dynamics and payout jumps.
Resilience: He has demonstrated a “chip and a chair” mentality throughout his career, famously taking down the Sydney High Roller just days before finishing 4th in the Main Event during the same series.

The Best of Luke Martinelli: Exclusive Poker Image Gallery