The Most Successful Poker Players

Poker is one of those games that you’ll find in every casino, online or otherwise, as well as featured in the majority of mainstream media. Whether you prefer to play Poker online with a live casino aspect, or to get your fix at your local gaming establishment, we’re sure you have certain successful players as your idol. And if you don’t, we’re about to introduce you to some of the Greats. 

Read on to find out more.

Antonio Esfandiari 

Antonio Esfandiari is perhaps one of the best-known players on the Poker circuit. Starting out as a magician, there’s certainly some magic in the air when Esfandiari takes his seat at the gaming table. Throughout his playing career, the magic man managed to rack up three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, as well as an additional three World Poker Tour (WPT), with the first coming in 2004.

Moving onto Esfandiari’s biggest win, this came in 2012 when he landed the ‘Big One for One Drop’ tournament during the WSOP. It was here that he bagged this impressive win, totalling over $18 million, which was the largest ever live Poker prize at this time. Esfandiari also held the title of earning the most via tournament wins than any other player – that was until Daniel Negreanu came along. 

Daniel Negreanu

Another incredibly well-known player on the Poker scene, Daniel Negreanu has also made a name for himself as being a fan favourite due to his vibrant personality. And, of course, his undeniable skills have led him to become one of the richest Poker players on the scene.

Known as “Kid Poker”, Negreanu has six WSOP bracelets under his belt – or on his arm – and is the only player to be named WSOP Player of the Year twice in his career. What’s more, he’s also an established member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Across all tournaments, Negreanu has won over 42 million dollars’ worth of prize money, whilst also racking up a considerable sum from sponsorship deals and ambassador programmes off the back of his impressive gameplay.

Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey is hailed as one of the greatest players of all time, appearing in almost any list of top Poker tycoons. The American player has ended up winning a grand total of 10 WSOP bracelets, the joint-second highest number of any Poker player. Ivey appeared at the final table of the Main Event back in 2009, finishing 7th. He has also earnt one WPT title in his time, as well as nine final table positions on the circuit. 

In terms of monetary wins, Ivey has won numerous hefty prize pots from tournaments over the years, including AU$4 million for coming first at the 2014 Aussie Millions competition. Ivey is also known to be an extremely successful online player, indulging in high-stakes games on the regular. In fact, he once racked up $16 million of winnings over the course of three days, when playing against Texan billionaire Andy Beal. 

Phil Hellmuth

Ranking 21st on the all-time money list according to statistical research performed by some of the best offshore betting sites available today, Phil Hellmuth holds the record for the most WSOP bracelets to be one by a single player – 15! What’s more, he also boasts the most cashes (148) and the most times sitting at the final table (64). Known to be late to the table, Hellmuth started to make a name for himself as the player to watch in 1988, when he has his first money-finish at the WSOP, bagging a respectable $1,500. From there, the rest is history.

At the beginning of 2021, it was estimated that Hellmuth’s overall live tournament winnings exceeded $24,000,000. Dinner’s on you, Phil!

Doyle Brunson

A big name in Poker, Doyle Brunson was greatly successful in the 1970s, also winning 10 WSOP bracelets and finishing first at the Main Event in both ’76 and ’77. Although now retired from the Poker scene, Brunson would regularly play cash games at the Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. 

In total, it’s estimated that Brunson has earned over $6.1 million from his live tournament winnings across his career. However, it’s unknown how much he’s bagged from his high-stakes cash games. Brunson is also regarded as one of the best Poker strategy authors, with his Super System guide. 

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Sophia Anderson

Sophia Anderson is a blogger and a freelance writer. She is passionate about covering topics on money, business, careers, self-improvement, motivation and others. She believes in the driving force of positive attitude and constant development.