Top Poker Players to Follow in 2022
Poker players are ubiquitous nowadays. You see them in every casino setting, teasing their luck, trying to make out a day of their time. While some famous poker players are known for their single jackpot series, others are celebrated for their consistent masterful skills.
If you aim to become a good player, knowing all about the best poker players to follow in 2022 might set your course in motion. Let us help you out.
Top Poker Players to Follow
Come; join us as we explore the listicle about some of the modern greats in Poker today:
Phil Hellmuth
When you look up to veteran stars, Phil Hellmuth is no new name. The man started his career by winning the main event of 1989. He is a record holder, winning 15 bracelets at the World Series of Poker. Till now, Phil has matched up around 165 amounts of cash at the WSOP. He has been part of 64 final table battles.
When we talk about prizes, the biggest winnings of Phil come from live tournaments, summing up to $24,000,000. The biggest prize emerged when Phil bagged the 4th position in 2012 Big One for One Drop event. Then, he won around $2,645,333 in a single round.
Poker player Phil Hellmuth is not just skillful but showy as well. Lads call him ‘The Poker Brat.’ We can usually see him wearing his heart on the sleeve. He is an animated character, bemoaning his bad luck whenever he throws a towel. Phil’s personality is nothing less than an entertaining fiesta for co-players. This is the reason why he is part of some of the biggest poker shows in the world.
Daniel Negreanu
From being entertaining to being popular, the list of Poker Players gets interesting with every new name. Daniel is surely one in the popularity zone as of now. The Canadian has poker-playing skills that are hard to match. Starting as a novice in Toronto, Daniel quickly stepped up the ladder and moved his playing career to Vegas.
The breakthrough came in 1997 when Daniel played the World Poker Finals and won at not just one but two events. The authority named him the best player in the tournament for his efforts.
Daniel is nowadays the biggest name in the poker industry. Masses know the popular faces, thanks to the appearance of Daniel in various game shows across the country. He is also closely related to the poker giant website PokerStars.
Daniel has won the highest six bracelets in WSOP and over 4$2 million in live tournament games. The biggest win was at 2014 Big One for One Drop event, making him go home with a prize amount money of $8,288,001
Phil Ivey
And the world’s best poker player award goes to… Well, you might not agree on it, but Phil Ivey is a strong contender for sure. The dude has managed to bag 10 WSOP bracelets, lagging only behind Phil Hellmuth.
Ivey also made an appearance at the final table even of WSOP in 2009. Phil as one one WPT title and has a record of reaching final tables nine times. Various large prizes are in the bank of Phil, including AU$4 million at the 2014 Aussie Millions LK Boutique AU$250,000 Challenge.
Ivey has proven to be a successful online player as well. He has superhuman abilities when it comes to high-stakes cash games. We can relate this to a $16 million win by Phil in a three day where he beat Texan Tycoon Andy Beal.
Johnny Moss – One of the All-Time Best Poker Players
Take any top poker players list or famous poker players ranking; you will see the name everywhere. He is the winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event and was among the first to be admitted into the Poker Hall of Fame. The following year and two years after, he would once more win the competition. In total, he took home nine bracelets and finished 25 times in the money.
His five-month-long poker game with Nick the Greek in 1949 is remembered in poker history. He was also well-known for participating in Las Vegas games alongside many other top competitors, including Amarillo Slim and Puggy Pearson. Along with Chip Reese, Sailor Roberts, and Pearson, Moss is regarded by Doyle Brunson as one of the game’s all-time greats.
Johny Chan
Johnny Chan is a staple name when discussing Poker and its culture. The man has plenty of battles won and awards to display. In 1987 and 1988, he was victorious in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. In 1988, he defeated Erik Seidel in a heads-up match. The final hand between the two of them was featured in the film Rounders, which is a fan favorite among those who enjoy Poker. His triumph in 1988 made him the first player from a country other than the United States ever to win the competition. He currently owns a total of ten bracelets, the most recent of which he won in 2005.
In addition to his success at the World Series of Poker, he has also made guest appearances on several poker-related television shows. His magnificent screen presence on shows like Poker After Dark and Poker Superstars has had high TRP ratings till now. He has bagged more than $8,600,000 in prizes from live tournaments throughout his career. In addition to that, he has participated in some of the most important cash games in the world, such as the Big Game held at the Bellagio.
Dan Smith
If you love the looks of serious, non-vocal Poker players, then Dan might easily fit into the spot. Dan is winning his way out of the most complicated Poker scenario by moving up on the all-money list. In 2012, Dan’s career grew wings when he won the Aussie Millions Poker Championship. He was able to bag $1.04 million in the NHLE event. Smith is also a known champion at the 2012 EPT-8 Monte Carlo. There, he won three NLHE events across four days time frame.
The most recent accomplishments of Dan include 3rd place in the 2018 WSOP One for One Drop for $4 million. His highest best is 3rd place with a winning amount of $8,765,628 during the famous Triton Million event. Smith also finished 2nd in the 2016 WSOP series, winning above $3,000,000.
People who love Dan address him by the name ‘Cowboy Dan.’
Justin Bonomo
The name Justin is not famous only in music. Justin Bonomo surprised the world by winning continuous streaks during online poker tournaments. This happened at a time when online Poker was increasingly popular. This is how the man came into the spotlight.
Some believe that Justin Bonomo committed blunders by using multiple accounts early in his poker career. However, he recovered quite soon, realizing his mistake and potential. He has made a lot of effort to overcome his reputation and demonstrate his change in ethics.
Bonomo soon established himself in live poker competitions as well, reaching final tables in 2005 and 2006 across Europe. 2014 saw him win his first WSOP bracelet, and 2018 saw him win two more. The $10,000 prize from the 2018 WSOP Big One for One Drop also set a new record for him.
Bonomo now competes in big stakes tournaments and is widely renowned for his charitable work. Bonomo and Bryn Kenney are frequently exchanging the top spot in the global online tournament rankings. He had earned around $57M in total from tournaments by the end of 2021.
Stu Ungar – One of the Most Prominent Poker Players
Due to his attractive looks and energetic charisma, many people referred to Stu Ungar as “The Kid.” He was one of the prominent poker players in history and an exceptional gin player. Gin Rummy and Poker were the first two card games Ungar ever played. His poker career started in the late 1970s, and he won his first gin tournament when he was just ten years old.
In 1980, Ungar played in his first World Series of Poker. That year, Ungar triumphed in the WSOP Main Event, also known as the No Limit Hold ’em World Championship. Then, in 1981, he repeated the feat by winning again. Later tournament victories and final tables demonstrated his expertise in a variety of poker variations.
The player tied Johnny Moss for the most WSOP Main Event victories ever in 1997 by winning the tournament a third time. Sadly, Ungar’s life and career were cut short by his death in 1998 at the age of 45.
Erik Seidel
Erik is the best option to look up to if you are looking for record holders on the list. Being a veteran doesn’t confine his understanding of the modern game. To that end, he can still compete against newer players and win medals and titles. His overall tournament victories amount to more than $34 million.
He has won grand prize money in events and eight WSOP bracelets. Amongst his plenty of accomplishments is his induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. The renowned Erik Seidel, regarded as one of the best poker players, is still alive and well. In 1988, he debuted at the WSOP Main Event. SLY and Johnny Chan reached heads-up but were still short of winning.
He was awarded $80,000 000 for placing second. Early in the 1990s, Seidel experienced significant success. He won three consecutive golden bracelets at the WSOP. Erik won 2,500 dollars in 1992 after winning a Limit Holdem competition. He won $2 500 for taking first place in Omaha 8 or Better in 1993.
He took home $5,000 from the Limit Holdem event he won in 1994. He received his fourth bracelet at the WSOP in 1998 after winning the No Limit 2-7 Draw game for $5,000. The player has several additional trophies from the famous poker series in addition to the WSOP accomplishments.
Phew, now that’s a whole lot of records. Own it.
Bryn Kenney
There is hardly any player as ambitious as Bryn Kenny. He is the center of attraction at every poker table. He rose to become one of the best players and earned a reputation as a fierce rival. Kenney started playing Poker during his early stages of life. At 16, he understood how lucrative the game might be.
He opted to concentrate on Poker because of the money. Parents’ pressure forced Bryn to enroll in college. He became tired of studying after a few weeks. Because of this, he dropped out of college and started playing Poker. He first studied the fundamentals before starting to play online.
Bryn started using his mother’s account when he was 17 years old. When he became 18, he had to switch to a different account, which he is still using now. After learning new talents and gaining expertise, Kenney made big profits. He won $1,687,800 in a $100,000 Super High Roller competition at PCA in January 2016. Bryn took home $178,500 after winning the Super High Roller 8-Max event at the 2017 Poker Stars Championship.
In 2016, the Triton Super High Roller Series’ Main Event brought in another million dollars for him. He received $1,401,694 as payment for coming in second. Bryn Kenney won $2,000,000 HK Dollars and $1,484,000 at the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl after placing fifth.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed the swift ride into the earnings, qualities, and insights of some of the great poker players in the world. We expect you to look forward to these as mentors and give your game a new definition. It is only by having a fine inspiration you will get to your goal of becoming the best poker player yourself one day sooner.
