Poker players have been sweeping the nation in recent years, winning and breaking records left and right. It is more than just a card game. It is a skill, strategy, and psychology game, and everyone has their favourite players. There are several renowned poker players in the world. Read this article to learn more about history’s 10 most famous poker players.
Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson is one of the most famous poker players on the planet. Born in 1929, he lived a hardscrabble life, even during his college years. Poker gave him immortality—a vast fortune, fame, and glory that he could never have imagined – but Doyle still travels the country, regaling audiences with his poker stories and playing for them.
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen’s first poker experience was pretty turbulent. During one particularly terrible session, he discovered how wrong his approach was and that he simply had to learn the game the right way. McQueen has since become one of poker’s most successful players, with an estimated net worth of $120 million.
Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan played a pivotal role in turning the game from a Texas Hold ’em-focused circuit into what it is today – a globally recognised casino game with millions of players. His story is one that’s always being told and is continually retold for the next generation of poker fans.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey is arguably the best poker player of all time. He is an eight-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, a World Poker Tour champion, and a seven-time European Poker Tour winner. Ivey’s career earnings have totalled over $66 million, and he has drawn questions from police and the media about his relationship with the Borgata in Atlantic City. His lifestyle has made him one of the most famous poker players in history.
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu, born in 1974, is a Canadian professional poker player who has won six World Series of Poker bracelets and is ranked as the world’s third-highest-earning poker player. Negreanu was named ‘Favorite Poker Player’ at Card Player Magazine’s Player of the Year Awards Gala in 2006 and dropped out of high school to pursue a career in poker.
Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker’s name was unknown outside of America’s poker community. Some believed he had the potential to be the next poker legend, but they still didn’t know who the hell he was. He had made some cash buying in at online poker rooms and had won a couple of tournaments, but he was hardly a household name.
Tony G
Tony G is a famous poker player who held the place in poker history brand title. He is known as one of the best poker players in the world. He also holds the record for being the first person ever to earn over $1.1 million in one poker tournament alone. He was born in New York. He began playing poker at a very young age and was raised by his grandmother, Mary, who also raised her other son, John, to also become a poker player.
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth doesn’t exactly have a resume that would suggest he would go far in the poker world. He graduated college early and got into poker full-time when he was just 19 years old. His poker career took off in 1984 when Hellmuth won the World Series of Poker main event, which awarded him $1.6 million.
Annie Duke
Annie Duke, a financial advisor, has been a professional poker player since 1997. During her career, she has won six World Series of Poker bracelets and is the first woman to have won the World Series of Poker Main Event twice.
Bill Boyd
Bill Boyd was not only the first man to win two WSOP bracelets but he also was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1995. He was a poker professional from 1951 to 1979. Inspired by his brother-in-law, Boyd began playing poker full-time. In 1952, Boyd made his debut at the WSOP and finished in third place. Four years later, he won his first bracelet in the Pot Limit Omaha. He won the bracelet again just 1 year later.
There are few games that are as revered and talked about as poker. Almost every culture around the world has its own version of the game, with variations of the rules and different bet sizes. But no matter which country you’re in and which version of the game you’re playing, one thing is constant: you will never play against the best poker players in the world.
