Although he has never been a heavy circuit grinder, it was an especially quiet 2024 for Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates on the tournament scene, recording a single cash back in January.
The three previous years he’d been spotted at the occasional high roller event, including his back-to-back wins in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship at the WSOP and a podium finish in a massive Triton Poker event in London for a career-best score of $1.9 million.
Instead, Cates focused on traveling, interviewing other top pros on his podcast, and even the occasional viral cash game hand where he picks off a six-figure bluff with 7-2.
Jungleman’s latest project combines his love of animation and story telling, bringing his words to life in a South Park stylized format that injects humor into his poker origin stories. He’s working with animator Adam Peiken, who is the same person behind Check Raise Revolution, a music project that Cates is also involved with. (He will reportedly play piano and flute on the next release!)
Card Player: What did you think of the idea when you were approached about animating your stories?
Dan Cates: I actually want to animate a lot of things because I think it’s a much better way of reaching out and connecting with people. The first one about how I found poker is out now, but we created some more videos that will detail my origin story, which will be coming soon.
CP: Do you watch a lot of animated shows? What are your favorites?
DC: A lot of the cartoons and movies I like, especially my favorites like Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon, all have an underlying message. I kept seeing it over and over. That’s what got me inspired.
CP: Is there any story in particular that you are looking forward to seeing animated?
DC: I can’t wait to see Bobby’s Room animated, also my bracelet win in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
We could also do a lot of the messed up events in history, since they really do make good stories. People wildly underestimate how interesting these stories are.
CP: You didn’t play a ton of tournaments in 2024, but you definitely traveled quite a bit, as evidenced by your Instagram account.
DC: I took trips to Brazil (with Felipe Ramos for a poker series), India (where Buddha found enlightenment), and a trip to Estonia. Guangzhou was also really fun. There are loads of beautiful places in China and many cool things to do. Chengdu, Chonqing, Shanghai, Guizhou… I went to a giant temple in the park with monkeys. I also went to Beijing.
CP: What is your poker plan for 2025?
DC: You can expect to see me back on live streams playing cash, but I am not a huge fan of playing tournaments. They take forever and I feel like I have to be more productive by doing other things. I might play them a bit when I’m back in the U.S. I am going to play some Triton series, and the World Series of Poker in Vegas.
CP: Speaking of tournaments taking forever and the WSOP, Phil Hellmuth says he isn’t playing the main event this year because of the long structure. Any thoughts?
DC: Phil not playing the main is a bit odd from him. I do think endurance is just a part of the game. I feel like he’s making a bit of an excuse here to not put in the proper effort, but I will try to convince him to do it.
People underestimate how much of this is within their control. If people are in better shape they can play longer hours.
CP: The two of you have teamed up for some big main event entrances over the years, complete with full costumes. Phil not playing leaves the door open for you to do something on your own. Any plans or ideas?
DC: Phil actually mentioned an idea that inspired me a bit. I’ll think about it more and see how things play out. I could do a character I wanted to do in the past, but I am a bit shy about it for various reasons.