There are a number of individuals in the world that have managed to become the world’s best poker players of all time because of the skill and ability that they have when they play the classic casino table game.
Indeed, there are a number of exceptionally talented players to have been on the circuit competing in some of the world’s biggest events and continually obtaining some of the biggest prizes that are on offer, although there might not be any that are better than the few that our TheRockiesCasino.ca poker experts have identified below, with many considering these men to be amongst the best poker players of all time.
Continue reading to learn more about each man and find out why they are considered to be one of the best poker players ever!
Daniel Negreanu
With a Romanian ancestral background, Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player who has managed to win a multitude of the world’s biggest events and be crowned one of the best players to have ever lived.
Born in 1974, Negreanu – who is known as “Kid Poker” – was recognised by the independent poker ranking service, Global Poker Index, as the best player of the decade back in 2014 and this will have largely been down to his ability to win a number of huge events.
He is a six-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion and a two-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion, whilst as of 2019, he was the third biggest live tournament poker winner of all time as he had managed to win over $42 million in prize money!
To further highlight why his name is considered to be amongst the best poker players of all time, Negreanu has been named the WSOP Player of the Year on at least two occasions (2004 and 2013); making him the only player to receive the award more than once!
Having been entered into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014, he was also the first individual to be able to make a final table at each of the three WSOP bracelet-awarding locations (Las Vegas, Europe and Asia-Pacific), whilst also being the first to win a bracelet at each of them!
Phil Ivey
If there is an individual that is close to competing with Negreanu for the title of being the best poker player to have ever lived, then Phil Ivey would have to be in the conversation.
The California native is another of the top professional poker players in the world and has continued to show just how good he is when it comes down to competing in the biggest tournaments that are held around the world.
He has won no fewer than 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, as well as at least one World Poker Tour title, whilst making an appearance on at least nine occasions at the World Poker Tour final tables. Indeed, his track record in these competitions has led to many believing that Ivey is one of the best poker players of all time.
Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017, Ivey has two nicknames that are rather befitting of his talent. “The Tiger Woods of Poker” is one, whilst the other is “No Home Jerome”, which was created because of his days playing the game in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a fake ID.
Phil Hellmuth
“The Poker Brat”, Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player who has also been regularly thrown into the mix as being one of the best poker players ever to have played the classic casino table game.
The Wisconsin native has managed to win no fewer than 15 World Series of Poker bracelets, which is a record, whilst he has also managed to be crowned the champion of a number of prestigious events in the world of poker.
For instance, the 2007 inductee of the Poker Hall of Fame managed to win the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker, whilst he also won the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe competition, as well.
As of January 2021, it is understood that Hellmuth has managed to accumulate a total of over $24 million in live tournament winnings!
Summary
When thinking about the best poker players of all time, it is easy to see why individuals such as Negreanu, Ivey and Hellmuth are typically considered amongst the greatest of all time. Each of them has been able to win a number of championships throughout their careers whilst also earning millions of dollars playing the game!
