Dan Harrington is a professional poker player from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Even though he is known as being a tight conservative player, he coined his own nickname: Action Dan. His background includes backgammon and chess, both games at which he has won championships, as well as working as a bankruptcy lawyer.
Before becoming a famous poker player, Harrington’s early poker experience traces back to the Mayfair Club in the mid-1980s where he honed his skills against other now famous poker players like Howard Lederer and Erik Seidel.
In addition to being successful as a professional poker player, Harrington has many other business interests. As a result, he considers himself to be only a part-time player, typically joining a few events each year, such as the World Series of Poker and an occasional World Poker Tour event. As of 2008, his live tournament earnings exceed $6,500,000 – not bad for part-time work.
Harrington can also count “accomplished author” as one of his skills. He was written five popular Texas Hold’em books, three on tournament poker and two on cash no-limit games, along with co-author Bill Robertie.
Harrington on Hold’em Volume I: Strategic Play and Harrington on Hold’em Volume II: The Endgame are two Texas Hold’em books that few poker players can do without. The first book focuses on No Limit Hold’em tournaments and is an almost complete guide to this form of poker playing, including pot odds, hand analysis, betting before and after the flop, and other important poker topics. The second book takes over where Harrington on Hold’em Volume I left off, outlining the critical endgame of a No Limit Hold’em tournament. While it is extremely rich in detail, the book is also a very easy and enjoyable read.
Throughout his diverse career, Harrington has continued to add more and more to his list of accomplishments. Whether he is known for his in-depth poker writing, his business pursuits, his World Series of Poker bracelet, or simply being a famous poker player, the man has skills.
