Professional poker players – Who are the top 5 players?
Professional poker is a highly competitive field, but year after year, a small number of highly-skilled and talented players appear near or at the top of the money lists. Facts and figures rarely lie, and from this data we can determine the top 5 professional poker players today. But who are they?
Number 1: Phil Hellmuth
Born on July 16, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, Phil “The Brat” Hellmuth has become a legend in this lifetime having won a total of 11 World Series of Poker bracelets. At the tender age of just 24, he won the most prestigious tournament in poker, the WSOP Main Event, and is the second youngest player to win this event.
Before becoming a professional poker player, Hellmuth attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married with two children and lives in Palo Alto, California.
Number 2: Johnny Chan
Born in Guangzhou, China in 1957, Johnny Chan has a total of 10 WSOP event wins and is the only player in history to win main events again, a feat he accomplished in 1987 and 1988. In 2002, in recognition of his success over three decades, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Before turning professional, Chan attended the University of Houston. He is the author of two bestselling poker books titled ‘Play Poker Like Johnny Chan’ and ‘Million Dollar Hold’em’ and was involved in the failed online poker company called ChanPokerOnline.com, which opened in 2007 but closed at the end of 2008.
Number 3: Phil Ivey
Born on February 1, 1976 in Riverside, California, Phil Ivey has won a total of 7 World Series of Poker bracelets and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Tiger Woods of Poker’. He is considered by many to be one of the best cash game players to ever play.
Outside of poker, Phil Ivey resides in Las Vegas and is a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. He is also involved with online poker and is an ambassador for Full Tilt, one of the largest online poker operators in the market and a major competitor to sites like PKR Poker and Poker Stars.
Number 4: Chris Moneymaker
Born on November 21, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event after qualifying through a $40 satellite tournament through the online poker site Poker Stars. He is widely considered to be one of the main catalysts for the great increase in the popularity of poker, particularly the online form of the game.
Moneymaker is a qualified accountant and attended the University of Tennessee. His autobiography describing how he won the $2.5 million first prize at the 2003 WSOP was published in 2005.
Number 5: Daniel Negreanu
Born on July 26, 1974 in Toronto, Canada, Daniel Negreanu is the son of Romanian immigrants who immigrated to Canada in 1967. Negreanu has four WSOP bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles and has amassed more than $12 million in tournament winnings.
Today, there are literally hundreds of professional poker players plying their trade around the world, some more successful than others. However, players can only truly be considered great players once they have won a WSOP bracelet.