Article updated on March 17, 2025
Picking the greatest poker players of all time is challenging, considering the abundance of talent throughout poker history. From legends who were the main actors in classic poker hands to modern professionals who dominate high-stakes tournaments, excellence in poker spans generations.
This definitive list of the best poker players of all time considers major titles, career earnings, and longevity at the highest levels.
For aspiring players looking beyond a basic poker cheat sheet, studying these masters offers invaluable insights into high-stakes-level play.
The 10 Best Poker Players Are:
- Bryn Kenney
- Justin Bonomo
- Stephen Chidwick
- Doyle Brunson
- Phil Hellmuth
- Phil Ivey
- Daniel Negreanu
- Stu Ungar
- Johnny Moss
- Fedor Holz
1. Bryn Kenney – Mega Crusher
Rising from Magic: The Gathering to poker stardom, Kenney has accumulated $75 million in tournament earnings. His breakthrough came at the 2010 WSOP Main Event (28th, $255,242), followed by his sole WSOP bracelet in 2014.
Kenney has dominated high-roller events worldwide, including a $20.5 million payday for a runner-up finish in a £1 million Triton event in 2019, cementing his place among the top 10 poker players of all time.
In the following years, Kenney climbed the all-time money list and now owns first place, with a difference of $10 million to second.
Seven-digit paydays are just another day for him, and the latest came a few days before writing in a $50k Triton Event, where he pocketed another $1.8 million for a second-place finish.
2. Justin Bonomo – ZeeJustin
Video as of 2015:
Bonomo is second on the list of greatest poker players of all time in career earnings with $65 million, dominating high-roller poker tournaments against elite competition.
His remarkable 2018 included winning his second WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 Heads-Up Championship, the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl ($5 million), and the $1 million Big One for One Drop ($10 million).
With almost 40 major tournament victories since 2016 and unparalleled heads-up prowess, Bonomo remains the best poker player in the world by many metrics. He’s not a player you'd want to square off against.
3. Stephen Chidwick – stevie444
With nearly $64 million in tournament earnings, this analytical English pro transitioned from online success to live dominance. Chidwick has excelled in high-roller events worldwide, including a 2019 WSOP bracelet in the $25,000 high-roller for $1.6 million.
The second bracelet came in late 2024, in the $50k PLO Championship at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. Along with the bracelet, Chidwick added $1.35 million to his career earnings, a list topped by a £4.4 million prize for 4th place at a Triton event in London.
His calculated approach and emotional control have consistently made him one of the best poker players in modern competition. the Englishman works every day to improve his GTO poker skills and stay on top of his game.
4. Doyle Brunson – Texas Dolly
When it comes to standing the test of time, no player has done it better than the late Doyle Brunson. Texas Dolly exemplified longevity, playing elite-level poker well into his eighties before his passing in 2023.
His achievements include 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, back-to-back Main Event titles (1976-77), and becoming the oldest World Poker Tour champion at 71. His influential poker strategy book "Super/System" revolutionised the player's approach to the game.
Beyond his $6.2 million in tournament earnings, Brunson's skills, which he showcased in the biggest cash games in the world, and his gentlemanly demeanour earned him Poker Hall of Fame honours in 1988.
5. Phil Hellmuth – The Poker Brat
With an unmatched 17 WSOP bracelets and over $30 million in tournament winnings, Hellmuth remains the only player to win both Las Vegas (1989) and European (2012) WSOP Main Events.
His remarkable 1993 summer saw him win three bracelets. On the WPT, Phil Hellmuth has eight final-table appearances but hasn’t yet added his name to the Champions Cup. In recent years, a WPT title has become one of his goals.
Despite his controversial table antics, the "Poker Brat" consistently proves himself among the greatest poker players of all time through brilliant strategic insight.
🤔 How many legends could you spot in this year's @phil_hellmuth WSOP Main Event entrance? #poker #pokerlife #wsop pic.twitter.com/E6FNUBdczD
— 888poker (@888poker) July 6, 2024
6. Phil Ivey – The Tiger Woods of Poker
Beginning his career with a fake ID in Atlantic City and inspired by players who made a living at the game, Ivey's methodical approach and dedication set him apart. By age 23, he won his first WSOP bracelet, later securing three bracelets in a single summer (2002).
With 11 WSOP bracelets, WPT success including an L.A. Poker Classic win ($1.6 million), and over $47 million in tournament earnings, Ivey's fierce competitive spirit and peer respect answer the question of who is the best poker player in the world.
7. Daniel Negreanu – Kid Poker
With almost $55 million in tournament winnings, "Kid Poker" has captured seven WSOP bracelets, two WPT Poker Tour titles, and WSOP Player of the Year honours twice (2004, 2013).
Renowned for his uncanny ability to read opponents' hands and engaging personality, Daniel Negreanu has become poker's most recognisable ambassador while maintaining elite performance at the highest stakes.
Last year's WSOP was particularly special for Negreanu after winning one of the most coveted tournaments by poker pros worldwide, the Poker Players Championship ($1.18M). He joined players like Billy Baxter, John Hennigan, Men Nguyen and Scott Seiver on the 7-bracelets-winners circle.
His multimedia presence through vlogs, podcasts, and streaming has helped popularise the game while demonstrating why he remains among the best poker players in history.
8. Stu Ungar – The Comeback Kid
One of only two players to win three WSOP Main Events (1980, 1981, 1997), Ungar's natural talent transitioned from gin rummy to poker with devastating results. One of the sadder stories in poker, Stu Ungar struggled with demons in the game of life.
Despite personal issues leading to his untimely death in 1998, he used ruthless aggression and the poker bluff to run over his opponents, amass five WSOP bracelets and $3.7 million in tournament winnings
His sixth sense for cards earned him a posthumous induction into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001, recognising his place among the greatest poker players of all time.
9. Johnny Moss – Grandfather of Poker
Voted champion of the first WSOP in 1970, Moss went on to win the first tournament-format Main Event in 1971 and added a third title in 1974. With nine WSOP bracelets and $1.25 million in tournament winnings, this Texas road gambler was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979, remembered for his aggression and competitive spirit during poker's foundational era.
While poker has progressed immensely since those early days of the WSOP, Moss was a top performer at the table. Some of the game’s forerunners and his contemporaries remember him as a keen competitor who was unafraid of aggression.
10. Fedor Holz – CrownUpGuy
This German phenomenon was considered one of the best online poker players in the world before conquering live tournaments with remarkable consistency.
- His achievements include the 2016 WSOP $111,111 Big One for One Drop ($5 million) and a 2019 runner-up finish in the $1 million version of the same tournament for $6 million.
- His second WSOP bracelet came under different circumstances when the WSOP was played online in 2020 after winning the $25 NLH Heads-Up event for $1.07 million!
With nearly $48 million in career earnings, Holz's analytical approach and deep focus have earned him recognition among the top 10 poker players of all time. CrownUpGuy has undoubtedly become part of poker royalty.
Best Poker Players of All Time - Honourable Mentions
Making a list of the ten best poker players of all time is hard, but no matter what you do, the result is a bit unfair.
There are many great players—young, old, dead, and alive—who could easily make the list, but we tried to find the best blend of old-school and new-school poker legends.
Still, here are some of the names that couldn't be left out:
- Erik Seidel – Ten WSOP bracelets and Mayfair Club legend whose backgammon background brought unique strategic depth.
- Dan Smith – $57+ million in earnings while pioneering poker philanthropy through his Double Up Drive.
- Johnny Chan – Back-to-back WSOP Main Event champion (1987-88) immortalized in the Rounders movie.
- Chip Reese – Cash game virtuoso considered by peers as possibly the greatest all-around player in history.
- Jason Koon – Modern high-roller specialist with $60 million in earnings and respected for his mathematical approach.
- Adrian Mateos – Youngest player to win three WSOP bracelets and Spain's most successful tournament player.
- Isaac Haxton – Elite online and live player known for his analytical brilliance and ethical stance in poker.
Best Poker Players of All Time - Final Thoughts
Beyond mastery of the standard poker terms list, these legends have shaped poker through strategic innovation, mental toughness, and, in many cases, extraordinary longevity at the highest levels.
While debates about who is the best poker player in the world will continue, this collection represents poker excellence spanning multiple eras, playing styles, and personalities.
Originally Published on June 18, 2020
