Ever since Juan Carlos Mortensen won the World Championship of the WSOP in 2001, only amateur players have won the biggest title in poker. However, some of these "amateurs" have gone on to successful professional careers; one such player is the 2004 WSOP World Champion Greg Raymer.

Calling Raymer an amateur would be a bit of an insult to the skill he displayes. His first cash finish in a poker tournament was in 1996, and while working a full-time job as a lawyer in Connecticut, Raymer became a force to be reckoned with at the Foxwoods Casino's poker room. There he earned eight cash finishes and one victory between 1998-2003.

2004 was Raymer's breakout year. He'd had a cash finish at the WSOP in 2001, but no one at the table knew who he was- when he used a fossil rock as a card cover, he was given the nickname "Fossilman". His other trademark was his lizard-eye sunglasses. Through a satellite tournament, he earned a trip to the championship event. He got to the final table and defeated Dan Harrington, David Williams and Josh Arieh. When he won his championship in 2004, he got the then-largest-ever prize: five million dollars.

Since then, Raymer has risen into poker's professional ranks. In 2005, he made a run at the $25,000 WPT championship and he defended his WSOP title, placing 25th. He cemented his place in WSOP history by finishing third in the fortieth anniversary no-limit hold 'em event, where the buy-in was $40,000.

Raymer has had twelve cash finishes in WSOP tournaments, in all poker styles. No matter the poker variant, Greg Raymer has had at least one cash finish. In addition to those, he has had two WPT cash finishes and has earned almost $7 million in tournament play.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of Raymer's career is his poker advocacy. Along with Joseph Hachem and Chris Moneymaker, Raymer has been an ambassador for the game; he has also been a mentor both live and online. He has also been active on poker's political side; after the UIGEA was passed in 2006, Greg Raymer has lobbied tirelessly for the regulation of online poker, asking for it to be considered a skill game rather than a form of gambling.

For a lot of players that have won the WSOP championship in the 21st century, winning has been a bit of a burden. However, Greg Raymer has relished his position as a poker ambassador, and he continues to be a fearsome opponent at the table and in online games.