When Bryan Leskowitz steps onto the golf course, he keeps his cool under pressure—a skill he's honed in an unexpected arena: the poker table. This 42-year-old sales representative for Cobra Puma Golf isn't just a pro at selling clubs; he's also a professional poker player who has raked in over $4 million in career winnings.
Leskowitz, who covers Massachusetts, northern Connecticut, and Rhode Island for the golf brand, understands the value of staying calm in high-stakes situations. "You might say he wears a poker face," and for good reason. After playing poker full-time for five years, he still competes in major tournaments, balancing his passion for golf with his talent for cards.
His recent results speak volumes. In December, he won $32,000 at a World Poker Tour event in Las Vegas. Just a month later, he finished third in the Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City, earning a cool $148,180. Since 2010, Leskowitz has collected $863,474 from live poker tournaments and an additional $3.2 million from online play. Of course, those numbers don't account for entry fees, expenses, and taxes—he estimates he keeps only 15 to 20 percent of his gross winnings.
His Atlantic City run was particularly dramatic. After being eliminated on the first day, he paid a second entry fee to rejoin the tournament. With a friend backing him financially for 20 percent of his winnings, Leskowitz walked away with an estimated $115,000 profit for three 12-hour days of play—before taxes. The event was streamed live on YouTube, allowing his parents, Andy and Barbara, his sister Jenna Aikey, and his friends to follow every hand. "I had like 400-and-something text messages," he recalled. "The commentators were saying all my family was in the chat and tons of friends were in the chat. The feeling of support was really the coolest thing."
Golf remains his primary focus, though. Since joining Cobra Puma Golf in 2019, Leskowitz has been selling equipment to retailers like Golfers Warehouse and PGA Tour Superstore, as well as to golf pros at courses across his territory. The brand's hot items? 3D printed irons designed for improved feel and performance—a perfect match for a guy who knows a thing or two about precision.
Don't expect to see him at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this July. "I'll be too busy with golf," he says. And with a side gig that's earned him millions, it's clear Leskowitz knows how to play his cards right—on and off the course.