He’s good looking. He’s young. He’s sharp, engaging, and entertaining. He hosts his own poker vlog, with more than 170,000 subscribers, and has millions of social media views to his credit. He’s also the drummer in a pretty cool band. He’s got a lot going for him, but what is Mariano Grandoli’s net worth?
The trolls of Reddit are in turmoil; agonizing over Grandoli’s form. Is he lucky? Is he just a flash in the pan? Is he, as someone commented: ‘Pretty typical… a breakeven player… lol’.
Join us as we take a close look at Mariano Grandoli – the man they call King Argentina.
But is Mariano Grandoli a good poker player?
Mariano Grandoli Net Worth
Money talks and Grandoli has plenty to say.
Grandoli played his first professional poker game in 2021 after starting at the bottom playing $1/$2 cash games and hunting around for the best poker bonuses he could get. Unlike other poker personalities like Nik Airball, Mariano’s entire net worth has come from either playing poker or his associated vlog and social media accounts.
Since 2021, the 25-year-old has played 945 hours of recorded professional poker, with net winnings of $1,693,470 as of January 2025.
The average salary in the United States is approximately $60,000 and Grandoli is banking more than $500,000 a year playing cards. He’s only been able to drink alcohol legally for four years and he is already earning almost ten times more than the average Joe.
The trolls might struggle with reality, but Mariano is counting his chips. Go figure.
How Much has Mariano Made Playing Poker?
One of the reasons Grandoli draws such huge loyal audiences is his willingness to share both his wins and his losses. He’s happy to own up when he makes bad calls, including trying out a couple of tournaments which did not go well.
Since 2022, he has shared his annual results with his viewers: hours at the table, sessions played, and money banked.
In reverse order:
2024
- Profit: $486,200
- Sessions: 72
- Hours: 485
He prefaces the video with an introduction from the Encore at Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. While many visit Vegas for cash games and tournaments, others come to take advantage of the Nevada online poker scene, where state-regulated sites offer real money games.
He acknowledges that it’s the first year he has made less money than the previous year (35% less). However, he also played less poker compared to 2023 (45% less).
He recorded this video after losing $16,000 in the Encore Poker Room.
2023
- Profit: $850,690
- Sessions: 103
- Hours: 750
This time Grandoli is playing poker at the Commerce Casino and Hotel, in Los Angeles. It was his most successful year to date and included winning a monster $788,000 pot on Hustler Casino Live.
He records his review of the year, after losing $8,000, in three hours, at Commerce Casino’s card room.
2022
- Profit: $544,815
- Sessions: 148
- Hours: 1,025
“By far, my best ever…” Grandoli arrives in 2022, acknowledging that playing professional poker, with much bigger blinds, is a huge factor in making a serious profit.
He records his annual report, after losing $15,000 at the Hustler Casino Live.
Earnings Outside Poker
Unlike keeping track of wins and losses at the best poker sites, it’s almost impossible to work out how much anyone earns via the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), unless they tell you. To be eligible, you need a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time.
Contributors get paid when an advert is watched for a minimum period of time. You can also earn via channel memberships, shopping, Super Chat and Super Stickers, Super Thanks and YouTube Premium subscriptions.
Grandoli clearly qualifies for the YPP, but finding out exactly how much he earns from his social media channels is impossible.
Unlike other players with online profiles who play poorly or to irresponsibly large stakes (looking at you, Corey Eyring) Grandoli prioritizes quality content over quantity; even if it hits him in the pocket.
He says: “I only ever put out videos when I think the story is worthwhile and I am proud of them. Although, I know that approach is not beneficial for the YouTube algorithm.
“I think I will continue to do what I want to do – what feels right. As long as it’s still fun, I will do it. I have a healthy relationship with YouTube. It’s a hobby that fulfills my creative juices.”
Is Mariano Grandoli a Good Poker Player?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes.
Does he make mistakes: yes. Does he occasionally sprout fins, breathe underwater, and play like a fish: yes. Like when he accidentally threw away half of a five-figure pot in March 2024.
Has he earned a small fortune playing poker in the last few years: yes.
The fact of the matter is Grandoli has worked his way up from a $600 bankroll, playing $1/$2 games. He borrowed another $1,000 and started playing $2/$5. He didn’t bust out.
Covid opened the floodgates. He played $5/$10 for a year. He got the opportunity to play live at Hustler Casino Live.
Now he plays $50/$100 at high-stakes streamed games where we can watch him play every hand, win or lose.
A good poker player, whether a high roller, or a grinder on one of the best poker apps, is a player with chips and a positive bank balance. Grandoli has all that and a burgeoning music career.
Haters are gonna hate but King Argentina’s career to date is a crowning achievement.
Mariano Grandoli’s Background
Mariano Grandoli is proof that the American dream is alive and well. He moved to the US, from Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, with his family in 2002, when he was just seven years old.
He met his long-term girlfriend, Meghan, at High School, and worked hard to pay his way through college, delivering pizza and working odd jobs.
In his sophomore year, in 2019, he launched his poker YouTube channel, @MarianoPoker; a no-holds barred look at the game and a journal of his personal poker journey.
Grandoli considers poker the perfect fit.
He says:
At the time, I was interested in puzzles and games. I was studying stats and had a professor who talked about game theory. Poker is psychological and social. There’s math involved. It’s a game of wits and emotion. I found poker at the right time.
The foundation for building the channel is that people just love poker. Surprisingly so, even after all this time. People just love different hands. They love three-bet pots, four-bet pots. They love tricky situations. They love coolers. They love it all.
I just share my thoughts and people just seem to connect with it. They learn from them or tell me I’m awful. I think being able to provide people with examples of hands, and situations that could arise in their own game, has always brought value to the audience.
Conclusion
Given his background and how he started in the game, that Grandoli has been able to build the bankroll and audience he has is seriously impressive.
His genuine content and transparency about all his play, both good and bad, has earned him a large following. In a world of pretenders and showmen this counts for a hell of a lot.
FAQs
How much did Mariano Grandoli make in 2024?
$486,200. This is less than previous years but he played significantly less poker over the course of 2024 compared to 2022 and 2023.
Is Mariano profitable?
Yes, though he has bad runs and a number of down sessions, in the long run, Mariano is a very profitable player.
How much did Mariano make from Hustler Casino Live?
At the time of writing, his net winnings at Hustler Casino Live are just shy of $1.9 million. The vast majority of this has come since March 2023. He is currently third on the Hustler Casino Live money list.