Kenny Hallaert
To say poker runs in Kenny Hallaert’s veins is an understatement. The man lives and breathes the game.
Born in Belgium, Kenny started playing poker part-time more than 20 years ago, combining his passion for the tables with a career as an electrician. Then his big break came in 2008 when he received his first professional job offer within the poker industry.
Safe to say, he grabbed it with both hands. By 2009, he was directing a tournament at the Namur Casino, the beginning of a long and successful career as a Tournament Director. Some of the highlights include directing events on PokerStars very own European Poker Tour (EPT) and France Poker Series (FPS).
There’s more to Kenny than directing, however. He’s a very shrewd operator when he’s at the felt, whether online or in-person, highlighted by his three victories at the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP). On top of that, Kenny went deep into the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2016, finishing sixth and claiming a check worth $1.46 million.
Then, in 2025, he proved that wasn’t a fluke when he navigated his way through one of the most competitive fields in poker to reach the WSOP Main Event final table for a second time, finishing 4th and taking home $3 million. Reaching the final table of the WSOP Main Event once is a dream; doing it twice makes Kenny poker royalty.Away from Las Vegas, Kenny had a 2025 to remember when he captured the €5,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller title at the Irish Poker Open in Dublin. Other live event highlights include making the final table at the EPT in 2011 and finishing 10th at EPT Cyprus in 2023. Currently, he sits third on the Belgium all-time money list with over $9 million in prize money.
As a professional poker player and a member of the Tournament Directors Association (TDA), Kenny‘s impact at PokerStars is set to be huge. Not only does he bring on-the-felt experience, but he also understands the player experience and will feedback opinions and suggestions to make the player journey even better.
Speaking of his role as a PokerStars Ambassador/live events advisor, Kenny said: “I’m really looking forward to being part of the PokerStars team. My role as Ambassador and live event advisor will no doubt bring up some great opportunities, and I can’t wait to contribute to the constant evolution of PokerStars fantastic live events.”
Kenny Hallaert plays online poker exclusively at PokerStars, where he plays under the username ‘Spaceyfcb’.