James started playing in poker in an unlikely method, as a dealer at the Hollywood Park Casino.  In 1996 he began playing in $1-$2 limit Hold'em games.  At this point it was difficult to see what type of future he might have as a professional Texas Hold'em poker tournament player.  Considering the slow progress that he made at this point it certainly gave not seem that a career as a professional Texas Hold'em poker player was in the cards.  Six months later he had moved up both in his job and in limits, as he moved from the $1-$2 limit Hold'em games to three dollar and six dollar games.  Finally, in 1997 he began playing in higher limit games from $20-$100 limit games and all manner of tournaments around the Southern California area.  Eventually James became a director on the international stage and helped to plan and run the first Moscow international poker tournament at the Cosmos Casino and Hotel in Moscow.  This experience with poker began to pay off as James went pro and began to play in low limit games at the Crystal Park Casino in Los Angeles in 1999.  While starting off in fits and spurts, and enjoying minimal success, he eventually found his stride and is currently considered to be one of the most successful Texas Hold'em poker tournament players of the day.

In the brief career of Kenna James, he has traveled around the world playing in tournaments in Germany, Australia, Spain, Russia, England, Amsterdam and Austria, winning in excess of a million dollars in all manner of tournaments and bringing in victory again and again in international competitions as well as domestic Texas Hold'em poker tournaments and competitions.  With this intimate knowledge of poker and poker tournaments from the perspective of both the player as well as the planner and organizer, Kenna James has a very illuminating view of the concept of the Texas Hold'em poker tournament in general.  Considered to be one of the top professional poker players in the game, James has won all manner of events such as the World Poker Tour, the Legends of Poker Tour and the Monte Carlo millions as well as the Aussie millions and the grinder at the Los Angeles poker classic.  The list of winnings and earnings that Kenna James has participated in is almost impossible to keep track of, but the amounts that he has won in total over a lifetime are certainly staggering, making him the point of envy for many less superior and less effective players.