Lyle Berman
Lyle Berman was born on August 6, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a businessman, and he considers poker to be like a business in that “There is a ramification for every decision.” Lyle Berman earned a degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota in 1964 and went to work for his dad’s leather company. Lyle Berman was president and CEO of the company at one point, but it was eventually sold. Lyle Berman was also the chairman and CEO of the Rainforest Café chain of restaurants and stores.
In 1990, Lyle Berman became a co-founder of Grand Casinos Inc., a company which endeavored to start casinos outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The company eventually became Lakes Entertainment Inc., where he was CEO. Lyle Berman won the Gaming Executive of the Year Award in 1995. Lyle is a co-founder and chairman of the board for the World Poker Tour.
Lyle Berman started a company called “Lake’s Entertainment,” which is the parent company for the World Poker Tour.
Lyle Berman prefers high stakes poker cash games, as he doesn’t have the patience for poker tournaments or low stakes games. Despite this preference, he does have three World Series of Poker bracelets, coming in 1989 WSOP at $1500 Limit Omaha, 1992 WSOP $2500 No Limit Holdem, and 1994 WSOP $5000 No Limit Deuce To Seven Draw.
Lyle Berman is a co-author of the book I’m All In: Lyle Berman and the Birth of the World Poker Tour. He currently lives in Plymouth, Minnesota.
