List of the greatest poker players of all time

The greatest poker players of all time is subjective and their is no clear cut winner, however it is true that some players have an innate ability to read their opponent, or calculate their best move within seconds.

The best poker players of all time includes modern greats like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey, but how would they stack up against greats of yesteryear like Stu Ungar and Doyle Brunson, when he was at his peak.

Basically, if a poker player has made the World’ Gambling List’s Poker Hall of Fame, they can seriously play.

List of the best poker players ever

• Stu Ungar – While he died too soon, Stu “The Kid” Ungar left a huge mark on poker, with five World Series of Poker bracelets and one of the biggest reputations in the game. The Kid may have busted spectacularly a few times in his career, but his gamecraft rarely failed him.
• Phil Helmuth – The record holder of the most WSOP bracelets, Helmuth is a controversial but beloved figure in world poker. With an unnerving ability to make the tough calls, Helmuth is still causing chaos in the top-flight of poker today.
• Stephen Chidwick: The term “high-stakes crusher” is regularly applied to Chidwick, the Englishman who has taken down many of the biggest poker tournaments in the world. Technically sound, Chidwick has nerves of steel and is as good as they come on a Hold’em table. Chidwick sits near the top of the all-time money winners list with over $75million USD in prizes, but remarkably only has two WSOP bracelets, with these being the $25k Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller (2019) and the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship (WSOP Paradise 2024).
• Daniel Negreanu – Daniel “The Kid” Negreanu has been a fixture on the world poker scene for over 20 years, with numerous WSOP bracelets and millions of dollars in winnings. Negreanu still competes in all the big events globally, and runs a Youtube channel, where he highlights both poker and his life with Amanda Leatherman, who is an accomplished poker commentator.
• Doyle Brunson – Is there more of an iconic poker player than Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson? Brunson has 10 WSOP titles, wrote the original “poker bible” and dominated cash games for many, many years. Brunson’s bluffs, particularly in the early days, were the stuff of legend. Players international will often call in Texas Hold’em when they have 10-2, the hand he famously won successive WSOP Main Events with. Brunson died in 2023 and was still sighted on the poker tables up until this day. His son Todd Brunson is a pro poker player that still competes.
• Jonny Moss – Along with Ungar, is the only man to win World Series of Poker Main Event three times, putting him in rarefied air. Moss is known for dominating cash games from the 1930s to the 1970s.
• Nick Dandolos – Nick “The Greek” Dandolos was attracted to risk and was one of the biggest boom and bust gamblers of all time. During his remarkable life Dandolos was regarded as one of the greatest poker minds, but his advancement of the game in Las Vegas puts him in legendary status.
• Bryn Kenney – Kenney is widely regarded as one of poker’s elite high-stakes players, consistently competing — and winning — in the toughest tournaments around the world. As the all-time money leader in tournament earnings, his dominance at the highest level cements his reputation as a true high-stakes king. Kenney has only won one WSOP bracelet, but this has not been a focus on the man known as “Sensai” with few high-stakes events passing without him partaking.