The 10 Best Poker Players of All Time

Whatever sport you play or follow, there will always be one question that will always be asked, Who is the best? This still rings true for poker; who are the best poker players in the world?. Poker is one of the most intense games out there, there is a lot at stake, but the reward is great. The problem with this question is that there is never a clear and straightforward answer unless you judge on players winnings.

Before you continue, be aware that this list is based on our own personal opinion. We judged a lot of these players on their earnings as well as their own style of playing, their personality and other factors that all come together to form a good well rounded poker player.

What You Need To Know

The best poker players on this list are still active to this day; if they are retired, then do not expect to find them here, irrelevant of how good they may have been.

Another thing to note is that order is irrelevant here; we do not believe that one is better than the other.

The Best Poker Players In The World

1. Phil Hellmuth

A very consistent player, his career earnings add up to an incredible $23 million. He came into the scene in 1989 by winning the World Series of Poker main event. Since then, he has continued to win and rack up more money. He has appeared in many TV shows. He was known to have some series meltdowns, but as of late these have, for the most part, disappeared. 

Some of his major titles include: 1 WPT title and 15 WSOP bracelets

2. Jason Koon

His career earnings add up to $31 million. He stumbles across online poker while studying, but he has moved up greatly since then. He realised he had a skill for playing cards way back in 2006 and he has been dominant ever since. In 2009 he won SCOOP tournament and went on to win the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open for $1 million in 2016. After that he has been on a high roller tournaments. He is surely one of the best poker players as in 2018 he pocketed $3.5 million in Montenegro.

3. Fedor Holz

A German native, he had a stellar rise in 2016 being both a great player as well as a very young player. In 2016 he won his first WSOP bracelet with his win in $111,111 No Limit Texas Hold’em for One Drop, exactly a few weeks after that he managed to reach second place at the Super High Roller Bowl.

His winnings keep on increasing. In 2018 he took home $6 million. Fedor Holz is clearly on a meteoric rise to being one of the best poker players. Consistency is key in this game and continuously playing will give you more skill and experience.

4. Stephen Chidwick

2018 and 2019 saw Stephen playing and winning his biggest prizes. Online he is known as ‘Steve444’ and has over 2,000 online cashes. Clearly his experience online as well as offline generated enough buzz and hype for him to claim a spot as one of the best poker players. 

He was winning tournaments from around 2013 but only his 2018 run has seen Chidwick become so prolific and well-known.

5. Erik Seidel

A 58-year-old that is still creating hype and winning tournaments. His total earnings amount to around $35 million. He is one of the original players from New York City’s famous Mayfair Club; this would also include Stu Ungar, Dan Harrington and Howard Lederer. He won eight WSOP bracelet and reached 35 final tables with 92 cashes. 

Erik Seidel is already a Poker Hall of Famer and still playing; as a matter of fact, he was inducted way back in 2010.

6. Dan Smith

A very quiet player but he is surely someone to fear if you ever meet him across from you. He is slowly becoming one of the best poker players to ever do it. His most recent massive win was placing third in 2018 WSOP Big One for One  Drop for $4 million while also scoring his biggest career cash with a third-place finish for $8 million at the Triton Million. He also won several other competitions all around the world.

7. Justin Bonomo

A legend, his total earnings, for now, are $45 million. He took the top spot with his win in the 2018 WSOP $1 million Big One for One Drop. He won $10 million, which instantly propelled him to the top whilst also having a lot of eyes be put on him. He has caught the attention of a lot of his competitors. This three-time WSOP bracelet winner managed ten wins in various high-roller events across the world. His 2018 run is something to fear. His run shows how he clearly deserves a spot in the worlds best poker players. 

8. Daniel Negreanu

He has six WSOP bracelets, reached 38 final tables, and  cashed out 108 times which also includes 11th place finish both in the 2001 and 2015 WSOP Main Events. He was included in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014. He has an ability to read opponents that is unparallel to anyone. Incredibly accuracy and confidence are what propelled him to be next to the best players of all time.

9. Bryn Kenney

Total earnings of $55 million in his incredible 2019 run have also catapulted him to the top. He finished 3rd in August at the Triton Million, where he cashed $20 million. He started in 2007 and since has grown slowly but steadily.

10. Phil Ivey

A fearless player and one of the best poker players. He won 10 WSOP titles and his total earnings are around $30 million. He has recently been a regular in the big cash games in Asia and high-stakes cardroom in ARIA, Las Vegas. In one week alone he has won more than $2 million at the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS, winning the $50,000 No Limit Short Deck Hold’em event in Sochi.

Overall

After reading about the top 10 Poker players in the world, you must be pumped up enough to take up poker yourself as well!

Check our guide on How To Player Poker and The Best Bitcoin Casinos so you can start your own game!

If you know what are you doing, you can jump straight into the action with Americas Cardroom. It’s one of the fastest growing poker communities in the US!

If the poker is not your thing, check our Bovada casino review, and try your luck in the Americas biggest online casino.



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