View source for Lyle Berman

{{Short description|American poker player and business executive (born 1941)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox poker player
| name = Lyle Berman
| nickname =
| image = Lyle Berman.jpg
| caption = Berman in the [[2005 World Series of Poker]]
| residence = [[Plymouth, Minnesota]], U.S.
| birth_name = Lyle Arnold Berman
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1941|8|6}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|[[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], U.S.}}
| wsop bracelet count = 3
| wsop money finishes = 16
| wsop main event best finish rank = 5th
| wsop main event best finish year = 1989
| wpt titles = ''None''
| wpt final tables = 1
| wpt money finishes = 3
| updated = &nbsp;July 20, 2009
}}

'''Lyle Arnold Berman''' (born August 6, 1941, in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]]) is an American professional [[poker]] player and [[business executive]].

==Business==
Berman grew up in Minnesota and attended the [[University of Minnesota]] where he was graduated in 1964 with a degree in business administration.  He then went to work for his father's leather business, Berman Buckskin.  When the business was sold to W. R. Grace in 1979, he stayed on as [[president (corporate title)|president]] and [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]].  The company was then later sold to the [[Melville Corporation]] where it became Wilsons Leather.  From 1994 to 2000 he was the chairman and CEO of the [[Rainforest Cafe]] chain of restaurants and retail stores.<ref name="forbes">{{Cite web |title=Lyle Berman |url=https://people.forbes.com/profile/lyle-berman/48374 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028053144/http://people.forbes.com/profile/lyle-berman/48374/ |archive-date=October 28, 2018 |access-date=January 26, 2010 |website=Profiles |publisher=Forbes}}</ref>

Berman also played an important role in gaming companies.  In 1990 he was a co-founder of [[Grand Casinos]], a company that sought to create gambling establishments outside of [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] and [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]].  Grand Casinos' [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] casino holdings were spun off into a new company, [[Lakes Entertainment]], and Berman was named CEO.  Additionally, Berman is the chairman of the board of the [[World Poker Tour]] and [[Pokertek]].<ref name="forbes" />

He won the [[B'nai B'rith]] ''Great American Traditions'' award in 1995 and the ''Gaming Executive of the Year'' award in 1996.

Berman was one of the many investors victimized by the [[Madoff investment scandal|massive Ponzi scheme]] of [[Bernie Madoff]], though his actual losses are unknown.<ref name="LVRJ">{{Cite web |last=Robison |first=Jennifer |date=February 7, 2009 |title=Investors with ties to Las Vegas appear on Madoff's list |url=http://www.lvrj.com/business/39257962.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022030829/http://www.lvrj.com/business/39257962.html |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |website=Las Vegas Review-Journal}}</ref>

==Poker==
Berman has won three [[World Series of Poker]] (WSOP) bracelets and is a member of the [[Poker Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=20th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1989, Omaha Limit |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=8007 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=23rd World Series of Poker - WSOP 1992, No Limit Hold'em |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=7961 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=25th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1994, No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=7913 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 25, 2014 |title=Berman: "We Created Worldwide Phenomenon that Lasts Till This Day" |url=https://www.pokerlistings.com/lyle-berman-we-created-a-worldwide-phenomenon-that-lasts-till-this-day-47295 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=PokerListings |language=en}}</ref>

In 2005, Lyle Berman competed in the [[National Heads-Up Poker Championship|National Heads Up Championship]]. He finished in fifth place losing to eventual champion [[Phil Hellmuth]] Jr. in the quarterfinals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2005 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=12405 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref>

Although he prefers high-stakes cash games, he has as of 2009 won over $2,500,000 in live poker tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lyle Berman's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=20 |access-date=December 5, 2023 |website=[[The Hendon Mob Poker Database]] |language=en}}</ref> His 16 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,446,317 of those winnings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lyle Berman |url=https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=190 |access-date=April 2, 2024 |website=WSOP.com}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[Poker Hall of Fame]] in 2002.

According to the [[James McManus]] book ''Positively Fifth Street'', Berman has bankrolled [[T. J. Cloutier]] in numerous [[poker tournament]]s, including the 2000 WSOP main event, where he finished 2nd.  The book ''All-In'' is about Berman's life.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lyle Berman |url=http://www.worldpokertour.com/Shared/Players/Bios/L/Lyle_Berman.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126145750/http://www.worldpokertour.com/Shared/Players/Bios/L/Lyle_Berman.aspx |archive-date=January 26, 2010 |access-date=January 26, 2010 |publisher=World Poker Tour}}</ref>

Berman currently resides in [[Plymouth, Minnesota|Plymouth]], [[Minnesota]] and has 4 children and 11 grandchildren.

==World Series of Poker Bracelets==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Tournament
! Prize
|-
| [[1989 World Series of Poker|1989]]
| $1,500 [[Betting (poker)|Limit]] [[Omaha hold'em|Omaha]]
| $108,600
|-
| [[1992 World Series of Poker|1992]]
| $2,500 [[Betting (poker)|No Limit]] [[Hold'em]]
| $192,000
|-
| [[1994 World Series of Poker|1994]]
| $5,000 No Limit [[Draw (poker)|Deuce to Seven Draw]]
| $128,250
|}

==Publications==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:I'mallinlylebermancover.jpg|right|150px|Berman on the cover of his book, ''I'm All In : Lyle Berman and the Birth of the World Poker Tour.'']] -->

Berman co-authored [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580421768/ ''I'm All In : Lyle Berman and the Birth of the World Poker Tour''] ({{ISBN|1-58042-176-8}}) with [[Marvin Karlins]].  The 2005 autobiography details Berman's life from his childhood to his life as an adult, covering his business ventures, his opinions on poker and [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]], and his experiences with designing and developing the World Poker Tour into what it is today.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://schwartz.casinocitytimes.com/article/lyle-berman-biography-examines-big-business-start-of-wpt-concept-23880 Casino City Times book review]
*[https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/2893-lyle-berman Card Player profile]
* [http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=20 Hendon Mob profile]
*[https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/lyle-berman/ PokerNews profile]
*[https://www.worldpokertour.com/player/lyle-berman/ WPT profile]
*[https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=190 WSOP profile]

{{1980s WSOP Bracelet Winners}}
{{1990s WSOP Bracelet Winners}}
{{Poker Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berman, Lyle}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Carlson School of Management alumni]]
[[Category:American poker players]]
[[Category:World Series of Poker bracelet winners]]
[[Category:Super Bowl of Poker event winners]]
[[Category:Poker Hall of Fame inductees]]