Patrick Leonard aka PadsPoker: Story of a British MTT Legend

Patrick Leonard, the poker player known online as Pads1161 or PadsPoker, is a British professional known for dominating online poker MTTs. Leonard has developed a reputation not only for his skill but also for his candid thoughts about the game.

The nickname “Pads” came from childhood, and it’s stuck with him through a career that’s gone from supermarket worker to high-stakes ambassador. He’s also co-founded poker coaching and staking businesses. His sharp thinking led to him creating DONTSHOOT, a football analytics company.

Player Summary

• Full Name: Patrick Leonard
• CoinPoker Username: PadsPoker
• Date of Birth: 1989
• Estimated Net Worth: $3–5 million
• Live Poker Earnings: $3.4 M+
• WSOP Bracelets: 1 WSOP bracelet (2022 Tag Team Event)
• Playing Style: Analytical, aggressive, adaptable

His social media presence, @PadsPoker on X and PadsOnPoker on Instagram, is part education, part entertainment. But behind the memes and occasional poker hot takes is a player who has staked hundreds of players and helped shape the poker ecosystem.

What Was Patrick Doing Before Poker?

Before becoming a professional poker player, Patrick Leonard lived anything but a conventional life. Born in Tyne and Wear, England — an area known for its industrial roots and working-class pride — Leonard didn’t follow the typical poker prodigy path. He studied journalism at university, briefly worked in finance, and even held titles as a private detective and ecologist!

In his early years, Pads was keen on soccer (football). His interest continued later with his involvement in club ownership. He is the founder and current owner of a club called Newcastle Independent Football Club.

“I never did things ‘normal,’” he says, and it shows. This diversity of experience shaped Leonard into a creative, adaptable thinker — essential traits for a high-level poker mind.

How Pads Became an MTT Beast and Went Pro

Patrick Leonard’s poker journey began with humiliation and fire.

Back then, he worked in a supermarket, the one his wealthier friends called to ask if he’d eat a bowl of hot sauce for $20. So when they invited him to a poker home game, it felt like a step up. Something closer to being one of them.

Very first hand, he was dealt KQ. He had no idea what he was doing, but it looked like a strong hand. He raised, got re-raised, and called anyway. The board ran out 7-6-5-4—completely disconnected from his cards—but he shoved all in. “KQ feels like a good hand, right?” he thought.

They laughed. Hard. He hated it.

That moment flipped a switch. Within weeks, he was beating them.

Soon after, he turned 18 and lied to his mother about a £5 casino entry. He busted early and again was embarrassed, but returned better and won. ‘Patrick Leonard poker player’ had arrived. The cycle repeated at every level: home games, local casinos, European circuits, and online as PadsonPoker.

“I always liked reacting to adversity and showing people I could do it… I guess they say ego is the enemy, but if you handle it correctly, it can be your friend too.”

A pivotal moment came when he received a fake staking offer from top pro Tom Middleton. “His computer was hacked — it was a prank,” Leonard explains. But instead of quitting, he went “all in every day” from that point. Eventually, he became the world’s top-ranked online MTT player.

What’s Patrick Leonard’s Poker Style?

Pads plays a disciplined, aggressive poker style built for endurance and precision. He doesn’t obsess over single tournaments — instead, he prepares for long sessions and entire tournament series.

“I never let one tournament matter,” he says.

His analytical mindset is also clear when he discusses strategy. That approach allows him to perform across platforms and stakes consistently—it’s math-backed poker that has been tested and relentlessly improved.

Best Moments and Biggest Wins

Patrick Leonard’s results, in a career packed with memorable achievements, highlight his consistency, adaptability, and elite skill in online and live arenas. Here are some of the standout milestones that define his success:

• Live Tournament Earnings: Over $3.4 million as of January 2024
• Best Live Cash: $475,940
• Total Online Earnings: $19,265,602
• All-Time Money List Rank: 599th globally
• WSOP Bracelet Win: Took down Event #55: $1,000 Tag Team at the 2022 WSOP alongside Espen Jørstad, winning $148,067
• Online Ranking Highlight: Former world #1 ranked online poker tournament player

These accomplishments mark Leonard as one of the world’s most respected and successful MTT players.

Joining CoinPoker and Becoming an Ambassador

Leonard became a CoinPoker ambassador because the platform let him be himself.

“I don’t like the logo — and I told them that!” he laughs. “I can be honest here. If I signed with other sites, I’d have to be the version of me they want me to be.”

His passion for crypto, 7-handed games, and community-driven innovation made Patrick Leonard and CoinPoker a perfect fit. He’s consistently advocated transparency in poker, and our blockchain-based model aligns with those values.

What’s Patrick Leonard’s Plan for the Future?

Whether streaming, writing advanced poker strategy, or creating content, Leonard brings edge and insight. While he hasn’t publicly laid out a roadmap, his actions speak loudly.

He continues to grow his bitB staking network, create poker content, and explore crypto integration in gaming. His independence, business acumen, and passion for competition suggest he’ll stay close to the felt — even if it’s from the command center of a multi-million-dollar poker operation.