A daunting opponent across the felt of any highstakes cash game, or at a final table in the World Series of Poker, Daniel Alaei is a three-time WSOP bracelet winner who's career live tournament earnings at the end of 2010 totaled $4,975,805.

Born in 1983, Daniel Alaei took up playing cards as an adolescent, and was eventually participating in poker games on a regular basis. Focusing primarily on cash games, Alaei climbed up through the levels, and earned the respect of his peers as a high-stakes poker player.

In 2003, Daniel began to develop an interest in tournament poker, and scored his first cash the following year at the Winnin' O' the Green tournament at the Bicycle Casino in a No Limit Hold'em event. Alaei went on to cash 7 more times in 2004, 4 of which where final tables that included a first place win at the Legends of Poker WPT $300+$30 Limit Hold'em event for $34,875.

2005 proved to be an even better year on the tournament circuit for Daniel Alaei, with nearly $400K in winnings from 12 cashes. Final tabling in two different Five Star World Poker Classic WPT No Limit Hold'em events, Daniel then took down a $300+$30 No Limit Hold'em event at the Heavenly Hold'em tournament at Commerce Casino for $133,615. Alaei rounded out the year with two more final tables at the California State Poker Championship.

Claiming his first WSOP bracelet in 2006 at the $5,000 Deuce to Seven Lowball event, Daniel added another $430K to his career earnings. Alaei cashed in four other WSOP events, and took first in a WSOP Circuit Pot Limit Omaha event earlier the same year.

Daniel Alaei cashed in five WSOP events in 2007, including the WSOP main event where he busted out in 25th place for over $300K. Daniel also cashed in the WPT No Limit Hold'em Championship Season 5, and again at the WPT No Limit Hold'em Doyle Brunson Classic in season 6.

The second WSOP bracelet Daniel Alaei won came from the 2009 Omaha Hi/Lo World Championship event, along with $445,888. The following week, Daniel scored a 4th place win in the WSOP Limit Hold'em World Championship, collecting $134,733. Near the end of the year, Daniel claimed another coveted acolade when he won the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic WPT No Limit Hold'em Championship, along with $1,428,430 and his first WPT title.

The 2010 World Series of Poker saw Daniel Alaei gain another WSOP bracelet and $780K in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship. Also taking 7th place in the $50,000 buy-in WSOP Poker Players Championship for a prize of $221K, Daniel Alaei's earned just over $1M total from his two WSOP cashes in 2010.

A stark contrast to his PokerStars handle, "steamraise", Daniel Alaei is always calm and pleasant at the poker table. In fact, it may well be his quiet demeanor that has caused this talented poker player from Santa Fe Springs to fly under the poker media radar for so long.