Top 3 Mid-Stakes Cash Game Grinders in the First Half of 2024

As we cruise past the halfway mark of 2024, it’s time to look at the grinders who are crushing the mid-stakes games.

The standards at these levels are as challenging as ever, so any profit is highly commendable. We’re specifically looking at players who are excelling, but there are a few metrics that need to be met to be considered a grinder.

How Our Ranking Works

The standards at these levels are as challenging as ever, so any profit is highly commendable.

We’re specifically looking at players who are excelling, but there are a few metrics that need to be met to be considered a grinder. These are:

• Must have played 100,000+ hands between January 1^st and June 30^th, 2024
• Poker rooms include PokerStars (PS), GG Poker (GG), 888 Poker (888), iPoker (IP), Chico (CHI), and Winning Poker Network (WPN)
• The player needs to be actively playing the stated limit within the last 30 days
• 6-max and full-ring only

That’s it. Let’s dive in.

The Best NL50 Player for 2024

MarsMiland (PS)

Regulars to the NL50 games on PokerStars will likely have come across MarsMiland. He’s been crushing the games since the mid-2010s and is one of the best mid-stakes players on the network.

His success has continued in 2024, locking in a 12.1 bb/100 win rate from 219,000 hands. In monetary terms, this has seen him win an impressive $13,000, plus any rakeback/VIP bonuses he’s bagged along the way.

His style is about as textbook as it comes. Numbers of 21/16/7 (VPIP/ PFR/ 3Bet) would see grinders on the forums salivate with excitement. Tie all this with incredible consistency over the last five years, and you can see why MarsMiland is setting the standard at NL50.

MarsMiland (PS) – NL50 Statistics

Other Notable NL50 Winners in 2024

Here’s a look at other notable winners at 50NL so far in 2024.

The Best NL100 Player for 2024

Sr Katanga (GG)

Sr Katanga is making waves on the GG Poker network. His win rate of 15.3 bb/100 is the highest at NL100 across all five of the major networks (100k hands min.), winning $15,425.20 in the process.

But it’s not all been plain sailing. He had back-to-back losing months in February (-1.5 bb/100) and March (-6.4 bb/100) before bouncing back in April (14.1 bb/100), albeit with a limited sample size of 9.2k hands. June (13.1 bb/100) and July (8.2 bb/100) have seen him return to his best, and as a result, he is the hottest NL100 grinder on the planet right now.

Like MarsMiland, SR Katanga is a poster boy for “How to Crush Mid-Stakes 101.” His numbers of 21/16/9 are precisely what you’d teach someone to battle it out at NL100, and he’s doing it with great success.

Sr Katanga (GG) – NL100 Statistics

Other Notable NL100 Winners in 2024

Here’s a look at the top five winners from NL100 so far in 2024.

The Best NL200 Player in 2024

Andrey Kuklin (GG)

2024 has been a breakout year on GG Poker for Andrey Kuklin. He struggled for large parts of 2023, stringing losing months from August to September, before finishing strong with monster volume numbers in November (62,000 hands) and December (39,000 hands).

Since January, he’s put together five consecutive winning months and has now earned a cool $29,000 for 2024 (10.9 bb/100) from 132,000 hands.

Aggression is the name of the game pre-flop. He mixes between FR and SH games, averaging 25/19/11. However, post-flop, he’s actually relatively passive, highlighted by an Aggression Frequency (AFq) rating of just 37/100.

Andrey Kuklin (GG) – NL200 Statistics

Other Notable NL200 Winners in 2024

The table below shows other big winners from NL200 with 100,000 hands minimum for the year.

Biggest Mid-Stakes Winners for 2024 – Final Thoughts

The mid-stakes games are getting more competitive every year, so to grind out those positive win rates, you must have something about you. However, if you can crack the code, then there’s serious money to be made.

What’s interesting about all three players is how similar their styles are. Aggressive pre-flop but relatively passive post.

Where they excel is by applying a solid playing style with consistency. If you want to crush the mid-stakes, this is where you likely need to improve.

Looking to Crush the Mid-Stakes Like These Top Grinders?

If you’re inspired by the success of these players and want to take your game to the next level, choosing the right platform is crucial.

Check out our comprehensive guide to the Best Mid-Stakes Poker Sites to find out where you can get the best games, bonuses, and rakeback deals.

Start your journey to becoming a top mid-stakes grinder today!

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Jonathan Askew

Professional Gambling & Poker Journalist

Jonathan Askew is a professional gambling and poker journalist with over 15 years of experience within the industry. His role at VIP Grinders is to provide the latest poker news and strategy, as well as creating exciting online and live industry-related content. [more]