Zoe has covered major poker series across Asia, including APT and the Players Series. With solid experience as a live reporter, she now joins SoMuchPoker to deliver in-depth coverage and share her insights from the tables.

Updated: 2026.03.13

Sean Rafael is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada, who has quickly become one of the most feared Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) specialists in the world. While many players focus on No Limit Hold’em, Rafael has made a career out of mastering the four-card game, traveling the globe to compete in high roller events. Known for his aggressive play and ability to handle the massive swings of Omaha, he has spent the last few years racking up huge scores against the very best players in the industry.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

According to The Hendon Mob, Sean Rafael has won over $4.9 million in live tournament earnings. His biggest single score happened in May 2025 during the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Montenegro, where he finished 6th in the $100,000 PLO event for $549,000.

Rafael is a champion on the European stage, having won a major EPT High Roller title in 2025. He took down the €25,000 Pot Limit Omaha event at EPT Monte Carlo for $430,664. He is also a standout performer on the PokerGO Tour, where he recently won a $25,000 PLO High Roller at the NAPT Las Vegas in late 2025 for $171,700. His consistency is remarkable; in 2025 alone, he made final tables in some of the toughest Omaha tournaments ever held, including a 4th place finish in the $10,000 WSOP PLO Championship for $462,451 and a 7th place finish in the $100,000 WSOP PLO High Roller for $419,563.

Sean Rafael poker — Sean Rafael (photo credit: PokerNews photographer Eloy Cabacas)

Biography & Poker Background

Sean Rafael currently lives in the poker capital of the world, Las Vegas, though he grew up in the United States with a natural drive for competition. He first started appearing in live tournament results around 2014, but his career truly hit a new gear in the early 2020s when he decided to focus almost exclusively on Pot Limit Omaha. Rafael is part of a “new breed” of young professionals who use deep study and high-level strategy to beat the game. His willingness to travel to places like Montenegro, South Korea, and the Bahamas to play in the highest stakes available shows his dedication to being the best Omaha player on the planet.

Play Style & Strategy

Rafael is known for an aggressive and high-risk style of play that is perfect for Pot Limit Omaha. He is a “specialist” in every sense of the word, often skipping No Limit Hold’em events to focus on the games where he has a bigger edge. He is extremely comfortable playing for huge pots and isn’t afraid to put his opponents to the test with big bluffs or thin value bets. His strategy involves a lot of pressure, forcing other players to make difficult decisions for their entire stacks. Despite the wild nature of Omaha, Rafael remains calm and focused, a trait that has helped him navigate multiple final tables in the world’s most expensive buy-in series like Triton and the PokerGO Tour.

Want to follow Sean Rafael as he continues to dominate the 2026 PLO high roller circuit? You can find his updated stats and latest wins here: