Trickett started playing poker in 2005 after suffering a knee injury that ended his career as a professional footballer. He soon became a regular in poker events in Sheffield.[citation needed]
Trickett won the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Luton Main Event in 2008, taking $215,178 in prize money. He cashed six times in the 41st World Series of Poker.[1]
In late 2010, Trickett, alongside the likes of Tom Dwan, John Juanda and Phil Ivey, took part in a series of high-stakes cash games in Macau featuring a number of wealthy Chinese businessmen. In an interview in the January 2011 issue of Bluff Europe magazine Trickett revealed that he won approximately £1m in these games and that he was currently learning Mandarin.[2]
In less than a month at the beginning of 2011 Trickett cashed for more than $3 million in super high buy-in small field no-limit hold'em tournaments. The $100k buy-in super high roller event at PCA, he won the $100k buy-in high roller event at the Aussie Millions and he got second place in what was then the largest buy-in tournament in history at the $250k super high roller event at the Aussie Millions.[1]
On 13 November 2011, Trickett won the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event in Cannes and won €1,000,000.[3]
On 3 July 2012, Trickett placed second in the WSOP's Big One for One Drop, a US$1 million buy-in event that is now the highest buy-in tournament ever.[4] He won $10,112,001, making him Great Britain's all-time most successful poker player.[5] Following this record-breaking cash, British media interest in Trickett intensified,[6] culminating in the commission of an online documentary chronicling Trickett's early life up to his One Drop success.[7]
On 1 February 2013, Trickett won the $250,000 Challenge at the 2013 Aussie Millions. For his efforts, Trickett earned $2,000,000 AUD,[8] adding nearly $2.1 million USD to his bankroll.
On 23 March 2013, Sam finished runner-up to Daniel Shak in Premier League Poker VI at Aspers Casino London. He won $200,000 for his second-place finish.[9]
As of 15 February 2019, his total live tournament winnings amount to $20,849,721,[1] placing him 20th on the all-time poker money list and 2nd on the England all-time money list.[10]
Personal life
In January 2013, Trickett announced his engagement to long-term partner Natasha Sandhu, although in an interview in December 2014 he announced he had split up with Natasha who was his partner for over 10 years.[11]
He currently is living in the countryside in East Retford, Nottinghamshire, England.