Michael Binger

Michael Binger (born December 20, 1976 in Delray Beach, Florida) is a part-time professional poker player, based in Atherton, California.

Binger graduated from North Carolina State University before receiving a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Stanford University in 2006. Just two months after receiving his PhD, he outlasted almost 8,800 players in the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10,000 No limit Texas Hold'em Main Event, finishing third and earning $4,123,310. Binger had reached a final table earlier in that year's WSOP, finishing sixth.

Since the 2006 WSOP, Binger has finished in the money of four World Poker Tour events. At the 2007 WSOP, Binger tied Phil Hellmuth and Humberto Brenes for second most cashes of any player in a single World Series of Poker season with eight. This included a final table appearance in Event 22 a $5,000 buy-in No limit Texas Hold'em tournament (finishing 3rd) won by James Mackey. His brother Nick Binger also played in the WSOP this year.

In November, Binger won the 2008 WSOP Circuit Event - Lake Tahoe, $5,150 Championship, earning $181,379

As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,800,000.