Unlike other sports, poker is also a game of skill. Whether online tournaments or offline poker tables, the race among the poker players is always on and becoming the next greatest player. Many poker players follow a legend whose hand has always won the most tournaments or whose playing style is different. If you have no idea about them, here is a list of the greatest poker players of all time who have been chosen based on the games and tournaments they have won, their style of playing, their years of relevance, etc. Money isn’t the sole consideration to make it to the list.
So, learn about the poker players who have written their names in gold letters in poker’s history.
1. Doyle Brunson
A Texas man with a cowboy appearance, Doyle Brunson is the first player in history who won $1 million in poker tournaments. He is an 88-year-old man who has played poker professionally for 50 years and has authored several books on the game. He has won the title of World Series of Poker Main Event Champion twice and has 10 WSoP bracelets. He was 71 when he won the Legend of Poker. He has also been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
2. Justin Bonomo
For Justin Bonomo, the night is still young. He is only 36 and the youngest player to be featured on a televised poker tournament final. He is known as ZeeJustin popularly. He is a former Magic: The Gathering competitor. He has won 3 WSoP bracelets until now and has a long career ahead. Since 2016 only, he has won 18 major tournaments. He is also a high roller player who has earned cash of $44.6 million.
3. Phil Hellmuth
Hellmuth is a player who has an excellent understanding of this game, and he plays tough. With 15 WSoP bracelets in his name, it is no wonder that he is counted among the best ones in the history of poker players. A Wisconsin man, he has won the World Series of Poker Main Event in 1989 in Las Vegas and 2012 in Europe. He was also a runner-up in the Champions Cup in 2017. He has earned $23 million in cash and has been on the final table five times. This skillful player is still active, and you may see him making some new poker records in the future.
4. Daniel Negreanu
Known as Kid Poker, he is a living legend among poker players. Having won six WSoP bracelets, two World Poker Tour titles, and a bracelet at each WSoP location in Europe, Las Vegas, and Asia-pacific, he ensured his place in the Poker Hall of Fame, he entered in 2014. Negreanu has been named WSoP Player of the Year twice, which is a record. He was also named as the best poker player of the decade by Global Poker Index. He has won over $42 million in prize money, and he is still adding to these numbers.
5. Johnny Moss
Every professional poker player knows about Johnny Moss, the first winner of WSoP Main Event in 1971 and 1974. There is a reason why he is called the Grandfather of Poker. From being a Texas Road Gambler to becoming the first winner of WSoP Main Event, Johnny Moss inspires every poker player. He has nine WSoP bracelets in his name. He died at the age of 88, but many players still try to follow his playing style.
6. Phil Ivey
If you ask poker players who is the best all-around poker player, most will agree with Phil Ivey’s name. His title seems right with 10 WSoP bracelets, a WTP title, and nine final table appearances. His three bracelet win at 2002 WSoP earned him the title of the youngest hottest player. In 2017, he entered the Poker Hall of Fame.
7. Dan Smith
When you follow your passion with all your might, it indeed pays off. It fits Dan Smith perfectly, who left college to pursue his career as a professional player and today, he is among the list of the greatest poker players of all time. At 32, he has a World Poker Tour title in his name and a championship title that he won at Aussie Millions. He has made it to the final table once, but his live tournament earnings have crossed the $36 million mark. He was placed at No. 1 in the GPI index 2014. Dan is still young and has a fantastic poker career ahead.
8. Bryn Kenney
Bryn was a Magic: The Gathering player before he made his professional poker debut. Since then, he has been among the top players with more than $56 million. He won a WSoP bracelet in 2014 and has also defeated WSoP Main Event Champion John McKeehen. He finished second at the Triton Million for Charity Event and earned the largest single payout of £16.8 million. He is the no.1 player on All-Time Money List and was also ranked 4th on GPI. He is known as the Mega Crusher.
9. Daniel Colman
The young players are changing the face of poker and how it is played. One such young player is Daniel Alan Colman, popularly known as mrGR33N13 and riyyc225 in the poker world. He earned fame when he won the $1000000 buy-in Big One for One Drop and earned the second-largest single payout of $15.3 million in tournament history. He has won one bracelet and the WPT alpha 8 super High Roller. 2014 was a great year for Daniel as he won the BLUFF Player of the Year Award. His total live tournament earnings exceed $28.9 million. There are many more numbers to be added yet.
10. Fedor Holz
He is the youngest on this list. At 28, he has 2 WSoP bracelets and more than $32.5million earnings from the live tournament. He started his career in2012 and High Roller tournaments are his focus. He is originally from Germany. He earned the title of best Online MTT Player in 2014. His first bracelet came in 2016, and the second one in 2020. He is an active online player and is known as CrownUpGuy.
Wrap Up
Every poker player must know about the masters of the game they are playing. With the induction of Mobile casinos, the future of online casinos is changing. Many people are joining the online casino and live casino, and games like online roulette, online blackjack, and poker are making their way to people who were not able to go to a casino and place their bet. Among all the online and offline layers, the above-mentioned poker players have made an impact. Their style of playing and understanding of the game has placed them on the list. Their contribution to the game and development has been exceptional, so adding them to this list is worth it.