Poker players possess some of the sharpest minds about and their elite-level decision-making and composure has earned some of them millions throughout their illustrious careers.
There’s no doubt the greatest poker players of all time are revered in the gambling scene and some are the stuff of legend.
Picking the best poker players of all time is no easy task, with an abundance of stars to choose from, from legends of the past to more modern greats.
But below we take a closer look at some of the greatest players to have ever graced poker tournaments from across the years.
Justin Bonomo
Who is the best poker player in the world? Well, the number one spot on our list of the best poker players of all time goes to none other than Justin Bonomo.
Bonomo, who is often regarded as the biggest winner in poker based on tournament results, is one of the modern greats and could go toe-to-toe with any of the legends of poker, both past and present.
Still active, Bonomo, who is also known by his nickname ‘ZeeJustin’, frequently appears on the High Roller circuit. He has won a whole host of events, including the Triton Super High Roller Series and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, to name just two of his big-money victories, while he has claimed three World Series of Poker bracelets across his career.
Back in 2018 he netted $10 million at the Big One for One Drop, which is one of the biggest poker tournaments in the world. A serial money maker, Bonomo sits second in the all-time money list for live tournament players with over $64 million to his name.
As long as he is playing – at the age of 38, he still has many years in front of him – his earnings will continue to grow and he has no doubt already cemented himself as one of if not the best poker player of all time.
Daniel Negreanu
Canadian player Daniel Negreanu is undoubtedly one of the best poker players of all time and he has the earnings, silverware and reputation to back it up.
It is now a decade since he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and he has only strengthened his CV since then. A master of reading his opponents, Negreanu is a feared poker player on the circuit and is often willing to discuss his tactics behind his success.
Negreanu, who is often referred to as ‘Kid Poker’, has made it into the mainstream and is one of the most well-known poker players in the world. Negreanu has featured in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as a poker player, as well as also making an appearance in the music video for Katy Perry’s Waking Up in Vegas.
Negreanu is arguably the most decorated poker player ever. When it comes to live tournament poker winnings he sits seventh on the all-time money list at just shy of $54 million. Perhaps his most impressive achievement is the two World Series of Poker Player of the Year titles he has to his name, making him the only person to land the accolade on multiple occasions.
The 50-year-old’s list of achievements goes on forever, with seven World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles to his name as well.
Bryn Kenney
Bryn Kenney makes his way into third on our list of the best poker players of all time, but there is perhaps an argument to be made for him to even feature a little higher. Kenney, also known as ‘BKD’, has something over everyone else in the world of poker in that he currently sits top on the all-time money list, with over $65 million in live tournament winnings.
A serial earner, what Kenney lacks compared to some of his rivals is a list of accolades, titles and silverware that the two players above him on our list possess. With the likes of Daniel Negreanu boasting seven World Series of Poker bracelets, it is hard to put Kenney above him, with Kenney owning just the one from back in 2014.
However, the American is just 37 years old and likely has a huge future ahead of him at the table, winning $6,860,000 at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in London as recently as last year.
Kenney does hold some poker records of his own outside of being the top earner, and once again it concerns money. Despite finishing second in the 2019 No-Limit Hold’em – Triton Million for Charity Event, a prize-splitting deal landed Kenney the largest single payout in live poker tournament history as he took home $20,563,324.
Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson is the definition of a legend in the poker sphere and he is regarded by most as one of the best poker players of all time.
Transcending the game throughout his career, Brunson competed professionally for more than six decades, which deservedly earned him a spot in the Poker Hall of Fame. It also saw him gain major popularity and some memorable nicknames, with ‘Texas Dolly’ and ‘Big Papa’ the most recognisable of those.
Though eclipsed by the tens of millions earned by poker players today, the American’s achievement of becoming the first player to win $1 million in poker tournaments cannot be overlooked. His CV is brimming with bracelets and major victories, including 10 World Series of Poker bracelets and two wins at the Main Event at the World Series of Poker; he is one of only three poker players to have done the latter on multiple occasions.
A poker trailblazer, Brunson – who passed away in 2023 – was also the first of six players to win both the World Series of Poker Main Event and a World Poker Tour title, earning a reputation which saw Bluff magazine crown him as the “most influential force in the world of poker”.
There is no doubt, poker would not be the game it is today if it wasn’t for Doyle Brunson.
Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss is another poker player from generations gone by who has helped bring the poker world to where it is today. Moss is right up there with the likes of Brunson – a fellow Texan – in terms of legendary poker status and is yet another Poker Hall of Fame inductee.
In 1970, the American became the first man to win the World Series of Poker Main Event and added a further eight World Series of Poker bracelets to his collection throughout an illustrious career. Moss’ final bracelet win came in 1988 when he became the oldest bracelet winner in World Series of Poker history aged 81, a record which still stands to this day. Nicknamed ‘The Grand Old Man of Poker’, Moss passed away in 1995 at the age of 88.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey is also undoubtedly one of the best poker players of all time. Nicknamed ‘The Tiger Woods of Poker’, some even regard Ivey as the greatest all-round player ever.
With 11 World Series of Poker bracelets to his name he certainly isn’t short of accolades, with a World Poker Tour title also on his CV.
Still active today, the 47-year-old American was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017 and is certainly worthy of a place on our list of the best poker players of all time.
Phil Hellmuth
The seventh name to appear on our list of the best poker players ever is Phil Hellmuth. An elite tournament player, Hellmuth is thought of by many as the greatest tournament player in history.
The 60-year-old American, nicknamed ‘The Poker Brat’, holds the record for the most World Series of Poke bracelets with 17. Perhaps more impressive is the number of different disciplines Hellmuth has won the bracelets in, with No Limit Hold’em, Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Hold’em, Seven-Card Razz, No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw and Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em all on his résumé.
Stu Ungar
We could not have a list of the best poker players of all time without mentioning Stu Ungar. He played multiple different games alongside poker, including gin rummy, in which he is considered by many to be the greatest ever player.
He was also regarded as one of the finest Texas Hold’em players of all time, emphasised by the fact that he had three World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em bracelets to his name. His World Series of Poker accolades don’t end there, as he is one of just two players to have achieved victory in the Main Event on three separate occasions.
Regarded and remembered as one of poker’s most exciting players, due to his aggressive, high-risk, high-reward playing style, ‘The Comeback Kid’ – who passed away in 1998 at the age of 45 – certainly deserves his place on our list.
