Poker has been around for a long time. Millions of people have played and enjoyed it over the centuries it has existed. Through this, there have been a lot of people who have carved out a niche in playing and excelling at the game. There have been old-school versions played with actual cards as well as online versions offered on sites such as Ice Casino app.
Criteria for Determining the Great Contenders
It is difficult to ascertain who the best poker player in the world is. This is due to the diversity of formats of the game as well as the long duration during which it has existed. In coming up with the lists of contenders, we will focus on the following criteria:
- Winnings: Under this category, players will be judged based on the amount of money they have won over the length of their careers. This will involve both looking at the largest single win as well as total winnings collected. It follows that the better the player, then the higher the amount of money they will have won.
- Awards received: There are various prominent awards to be won within the world of cards. It follows that the more awards a contender has, then the more prominent his talent. Granted, there are different forms of awards that a player can participate in, but the focus here is on international tournaments such as the World Series of Poker Award (WSOP).
Great Ten Poker Superstars
Debates across the gambling world always feature some prominent personalities on their lists. Accordingly, the following are some of the top ten players in the industry in no particular order.
Phil Ivey
He is one of the players who started off his career at a very young age. He won his first WSOP bracelet when he was approximately 23 years old. He has since managed to amass winnings of over 30 million dollars throughout his career.
Stu Ungars
He started his gambling career at a very young age and is rumored to have been wagering from as early as 12 years old. His total winnings were slightly over 30 million dollars by the time of his demise. He had also won consecutively the WSOP award further cementing his spot among the superstars.
Dan Smith
He is known for winning approximately 33 million dollars throughout his career. Furthermore, he set up a charity drive to ensure that successful punters have a way of giving back to the community at large.
Erik Seidel
He has won 9 WSOP bracelets and collected approximately 40 million dollars in prize money. This impressive statistic makes him a popular favorite and a top contender for the best card player. His ability to keep up with the trends and still play despite being over 60 years old further shows his prowess.
Fedor Holz
He is known to be a very calculated player. This has led to him earning prize money, totaling slightly over 33 million dollars throughout his career. Though he started off playing online, he has since moved to the world of live gaming and stood out among his peers.
Daniel Negreanu
He has earned 6 WSOP bracelets and over 33 million dollars in takings. These credentials put him comfortably in the creme de la creme for the card-playing world. He is able to adjust accordingly to new trends and still participates in high-risk tables while comfortably holding his own.
Justin Bonomo
He has over 44.6 million dollars in prizes. His greatest win was when he secured a 10 million dollar at the WSOP Big One For One Drop. His fans recognize his superiority as he is a calculated player who appreciates the risk and wagers after careful consideration.
Phil Hellmuth
He is known to be a cunning player of great skill. He has acquired over 26 million dollars in prizes while winning 15 WSOP awards in his time. He has been around long enough to be revered for his knowledge of the game.
Antonio Esfandiari
His fans know him for his agility and magic-like ways of playing. After all, he did start off as a magician before joining the gambling world. He has had significant success through his career securing a total of over 27 million dollars and 3 WSOPs.
Doyle Brunson
He is one of the oldest and longest-serving players on the tables. Though his winnings are just approximately 6 million dollars, he is still one of the superstars as he was able to achieve this amount without participating in any of the high-stakes games played in modern times. Additionally, he has 6 WSOPs to his name, among other awards.
All in all, this list does not include a conclusive representation of all the big-time legends. It is important to note, however, that all those included here are impeccable players who are highly gifted and entertaining to watch.