{{Short description|American poker player (born 1989)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox poker player | name = Daniel Cates | image = Daniel Cates 2018.jpg | caption = Cates in 2018 | nickname = Jungleman<br>jungleman12<br>w00ki3z. | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=y|1989|11|14}} | birth_place = [[Bowie, Maryland]], U.S. | wsop bracelet count = 2 | wsop money finishes = 4 | wsop main event best finish rank = 775th | wsop main event best finish year = 2015 | wpt titles = 2 | wpt final tables = 2 | wpt money finishes = 2 | ept titles = 1 | ept final tables = 3 | ept money finishes = 3 | updated = 2022-07-01 }}
'''Daniel Cates''' (born November 14, 1989)<ref name="NYTimes">{{Cite web |last=Kang |first=Jay Caspian |author-link=Jay Caspian Kang |date=March 25, 2011 |title=Online Poker's Big Winner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/magazine/mag-27Poker-t.html |access-date=December 6, 2023 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> also known as '''Jungleman''', '''jungleman12''' or '''w00ki3z.''' is a professional poker player from the United States, once considered to be one of the best [[heads up poker|heads-up]] No Limit [[Texas Hold 'em]] players in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Poker Life -Daniel "jungleman12" Cates |url=http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/9744-a-poker-life-daniel-jungleman12-cates |publisher=CardPlayer}}</ref> By 2014, his online cash game earnings at [[Full Tilt Poker]] and [[PokerStars]] was over {{USD|11 million}}. In 2010, he won over $5 million, making him the biggest winner for the year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poker player profile: jungleman12 |url=http://www.highstakesdb.com/profiles/jungleman12.aspx |publisher=High Stakes DB |access-date=April 6, 2011 |archive-date=November 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123192316/http://highstakesdb.com/profiles/jungleman12.aspx |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
==Early life== Cates was born and raised in [[Bowie, Maryland|Bowie]], Maryland, and began playing poker at the age of 17. He has said that at first he was a big loser and even took a job at McDonald's in order to refuel his bankroll. He describes his childhood as "weird, a bit aloof and mostly spent alone". He spent much of his time playing ''[[Command and Conquer]]'' and had an uncontrollable obsession with video games.<ref name=NYTimes/> He studied [[Economics]] at the [[University of Maryland]] before dropping out of college to make poker a full-time career.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is jungleman12? That guy in the well |url=http://www.bluffeurope.com/poker-news/en/online-poker-news/Who-is-jungleman12-That-guy-in-the-well_7438.aspx |publisher=Bluff Europe}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Maese |first=Rick |date=May 2, 2023 |title=How to win at cards and life, according to poker's autistic superstar |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/05/02/jungleman-poker-dan-cates-autisic/ |access-date=May 3, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
==Poker== Cates began playing [[online poker]] under the screen name "jungleman12" at the $0.25/$0.50 level as well as losing money in his local casino game before employing "reverse game selection" in order to take on and beat the best players at his stakes in heads-up matches before moving up the limits. He went from $0.25/$0.50 to $25/$50 in two years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daniel "Jungleman12" Cates >> Bluff Europe |url=http://www.bluffeurope.com/interview/en/Daniel-Jungleman12-Cates_10232.aspx |publisher=Bluff Europe}}</ref>
In 2009, Cates lost most of his bankroll to [[Viktor Blom]] at [[Full Tilt Poker]] before rebuilding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JUNGLEMAN WELL - Two Plus Two forums |url=http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/58/heads-up-nl/jungleman-well-777086/ |publisher=Two Plus Two poker forums}}</ref> In 2010, he began to play higher and higher stakes, racking up victories against many noted pros, including heads-up specialist [[Tom Dwan]]. In August 2010, Cates agreed to take the Durrrr Challenge, playing Dwan at four tables of $200/$400 no limit for 50,000 hands. If Cates should beat Dwan by $1 or more after 50,000 hands, he will win $1.5 million from Dwan. As of April 2011, the two had played 19,335 hands, and Cates was up over a million dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Durrrr vs. Jungleman12 - Full Tilt Poker |url=http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/durrrr-vs-jungleman12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403005737/http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/durrrr-vs-jungleman12 |archive-date=April 3, 2011 |publisher=Full Tilt Poker}}</ref> On December 31, 2018, Cates called out Dwan publicly on Twitter for his apparent welching. However, Cates also said that Dwan paid out approximately $700,000 in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Jungleman' Daniel Cates Calls Out Tom Dwan for 'Durrrr Challenge' |date=December 31, 2018 |url=https://www.cardschat.com/news/jungleman-daniel-cates-tom-dwan-75957}}</ref>
On August 13, 2015, Cates announced via Twitter that he lost {{HKD|38 million}} ({{USD|5 million}}) at a casino in Manila.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=631919090106531840 |user=junglemandan |title=Sooo manila didn't go well, only lost about 38m hkd(5m usd)... Gonna play some 5/10 online and take another shot |author=Daniel Cates |date=August 13, 2015}}</ref>
As of April 2025, his total live tournament winnings exceed $18,000,000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daniel Cates' profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=147438 |access-date=December 6, 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}</ref>
===World Series of Poker===
Cates has two [[World Series of Poker]] [[World Series of Poker bracelet|bracelets]], both in the [[The Poker Players Championship|Poker Players Championship]]. He claimed his first bracelet in 2021, after defeating Ryan Leng heads-up.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Hair |first=Dan |date=2021-11-06 |title=Dan Cates is The Newest Poker Players Champion |url=https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2021-wsop/event-60-50000-poker-players-championship/chips.460070.htm |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=PokerNews |language=en}}</ref> He claimed his second bracelet in 2022, after defeating Yuri Dzivielevski heads-up.<ref name="History">{{Cite web |date=2022-07-01 |title=Dan Cates Makes History; Wins Back-to-Back $50,000 Poker Players Championship ($1,449,103) |url=https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2022-wsop/event-56-50000-poker-players-championship/chips.508846.htm |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=PokerNews.com |language=en}}</ref> He is the first person to win the Poker Players Championship in consecutive years.<ref name="History" />
{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- |+ World Series of Poker bracelets |- !Year !Tournament !Prize (US$) |- |[[2021 World Series of Poker|2021]] |$50,000 [[The Poker Players Championship|Poker Players Championship]] 6-Handed |$954,020 |- |[[2022 World Series of Poker|2022]] |$50,000 [[The Poker Players Championship|Poker Players Championship]] 6-Handed |$1,449,103 |}
==Notes== {{reflist}}
== External links == *[https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/poker-lifestyle/interview-dan-cates-jungleman/ Dan Cates Interview] *[https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/160340-daniel-cates Card Player profile] * [http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=147438 Hendon Mob profile] *[https://www.pokernews.com/poker-players/dan-cates/ PokerNews profile] *[https://www.worldpokertour.com/player/daniel-cates/ WPT profile] *[https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=113941 WSOP profile] *{{twitter|junglemandan}}
{{2020s WSOP bracelet winners}} {{World Series of Poker $50,000 Players' Championship Winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cates, Daniel}} [[Category:1989 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American poker players]] [[Category:People from Bowie, Maryland]] [[Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni]] [[Category:World Series of Poker bracelet winners]]