Top Ten Poker Players

I've completed a list of my favorite movies. I will now make a list of my other passion. Poker is not a game of luck. It takes a great amount of skill and obedience. A good poker player must know his opponent and can't take a bad beat personally. The following are, in my opinion, the best or my favorite poker players in the world.

10. Sam Farha:
Many will find this choice a little odd. Let me explain why I have chosen Farha as one of the top ten players. First of all, he is only number ten. He barely made the cut. I think he is a good player but their are a lot of other better players. Although, this is a list of my favorite players, not necessarily the greatest. Secondly, he is an aggressive player who likes to play a lot of hands. He should have won the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP), however luck played a factor and Chris Moneymaker stole the title away from Farha. Finally, he is the coolest looking player on Earth. He is a stylish dresser, he is so calm during interviews and he started the greatest trend with the hanging, unlit cigarette. Farha may not win a lot of tournaments but he looks so good playing in them.

9. Amarillo Slim:
Considered to be the greatest proposition bettor there is, he is also a heck of a card player. Amarillo Slim Preston won the 1972 WSOP and has won more money in Pot Limit Omaha and Hold'em games and No-Limit Hold'em. However, where Slim gets most credit is in his crazy and outlandish bets like taking on Bobby Riggs, Wimbeldon champ, in a ping pong game. Yet, Slim got to choose the paddles. He showed up with frying pans and beat the champion. Another peculiar, but profitable, bet was he could drive a golf ball over a mile. He won by hitting it over a frozen lake. My friends and I love making proposition bets and in honor of that, I decided to include Amarillo Slim in this list.

8. Jennifer Harman:
My next claim will probably make a lot of people mad, but I'm going to say it anyway. You don't have too many great female poker players. There are exceptions to this claim, but on the whole they just don't have the same amount of interest or the endurance for it. Jennifer Harman is one of these exceptions. She has learned how to play from experience and she has taught many others how to play through playing a better game than her adversary. Harman is one of the money leaders among women at the WSOP. Like many poker players who make a lot of money but keep a lower profile, she is a cash game specialist and she can regularly be found playing in the biggest live-action game in the world at Bellagio in Las Vegas where she plays up to $3,000-$6,000. Her competitiveness gives her the drive to be one of the best and I predict she will be the first female ever to win the World Series Main Event.

7. Phil Ivey:
Finishing in the top four for three World Poker Tour (WPT) events started Phil Ivey's career off to a sensational start. He finished fourth at Foxwoods, second at Binion's World Poker Open and third at the Bellagio WPT Championship. Ivey, called the Tiger Woods of Poker (probably because he's the only black guy to be seen by anyone at a final table), doesn't think he has reached the pinnacle of his game...yet. He has a great way of reading his opponents and considers each move with the same amount of planning. It is always a shame to see Ivey knocked out because he is the rare young player who has respect for the game, unlike insolent hacks who involve themselves with groups like The Crew.

6. Johnny Chan:
Sometimes I wonder if Johnny Chan really does play poker. Outside of Rounders, a casual poker viewer wouldn't know who Johnny Chan was. He is never at a final table. However, he has recently been put on the Fox Sports Net Poker of Champions. Chan is tied for most WSOP bracelets with an outstanding nine. He achieved back-to-back wins at the WSOP Main Event in 1987 and 1988. I don't necessarily like Johnny Chan, but I can't deny him of a spot on the top ten poker players either.

5. T. J. Cloutier:
Cloutier is a long time player. He has the most tournament wins of every player in the game. He has won over fifty tournaments with a $500 or more buy-in. Cloutier has four WSOP bracelets for wins in 1987, 1994 and 1998. Tom McEvoy has teamed up with Cloutier to write four books. I own Championship No-Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em. Their other books include Championship Hold'em, Championship Omaha and Championship Tournament Practice Hands. Cloutier has stated, "I might not recognize your name, but if I've played with you before I will remember your face and how you play." This is what makes Cloutier the player he is. He has a great memory for how a person will play certain hands and he pays attention to everything that is happening at the table.

4. Phil Hellmuth Jr.:
I complain a lot about this guy, but I have to admit he is a phenomenal player. Hellmuth is called the Poker Brat because he is to poker what John Mcenroe is to tennis. Like Johnny Chan, he holds nine WSOP bracelets. Yet, he has created a scene at every single event he has entered. He is the youngest player to win the WSOP main event. He accomplished this feat at 24. Hellmuth creates drama to the sport. People love to see him blow up and throw a tantrum about some amateur who shouldn't have stayed in with top pair and great kicker. He is so interesting, ESPN has done two features on him during the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker. Hellmuth will continue to win and continue to lose. The question is will he do so like a gentleman or like Phil Hellmuth?

3. Daniel Negreanu:
This is the fastest growing poker pro in 2004. Viewers will remember him winning the U.S. Poker Open in 1999, and any poker enthusiast can see Negreanu is a tremendous player with great skill. He placed third at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament, second at the PartyPoker Million and has created quite a scene at the 2004 WSOP with his many final table appearances. Negreanu has moved up many places in my book and will stay at the top for a while if he keeps up his great playing.

2. Howard Lederer:
The Professor is actually my favorite, however he will be second on this list. This guy is methodical and meticulous. He combines high intellect with extreme competitiveness to produce one of the most revered games in the sport. Lederer won two World Poker Tour titles in 2003 and placed third at the WPT Battle of Champions. Lederer began as a chess master and made the successful switch to poker. What also makes Howard Lederer my favorite poker player is his gentlemanly demeanor. He never whines about how a guy played a hand or if he is outdrawn on the river. He gives respect to the game and I admire him for it.

1. Doyle Brunson:
The man who wrote Super Systems, considered to be the Bible of poker, has to be put as number one. You can't really deny Doyle "Dolly" Brunson the title of best poker player. He has nine WSOP titles (tied with Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth Jr.). Two of those titles are from the main events in 1976 and 1977. He was the first to win a million dollars in a tournament. He is the father of poker. One might argue Brunson hasn't made it to a final table in quite a while, however the guy has been playing and winning at poker for over forty years. He is a legend and will always be number one.

I would like to add one last thing. If I was older or I had been into poker at a younger age, I probably would have added Stu Unger to this list. The little I know about Unger I like. He sounds like he was an amazing player who just couldn't handle himself with his money and other bad habits. He holds the record for most World Series of Poker Main Event titles with three. Two of the titles were won back-to-back. I wish I could have seen Unger play today against the young players of the day.
Also, this list would change as players abilities change so don't hold me to this down the road.