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top 5 best tournament players ever
5)Phil Ivey
4)Stu Ungar
3)Doyle Brunson
2)Phil Helmuth
1)Johnny Chan
***If i ever hear anyone say that phil ivey cant play, they should just stop playing poker, phil helmuth may whine but seriously once one of you gets nine Bracelets then you can talk,and my god the Master Johnny Chan take a lesson from him, and by the way i've been playing poker for 17 years and i'm 26 years old i know all there is to know about poker ask me anything and if you wanna play, i'm up for any game any time

I think Helmuth's mouthing off is just an act to distract his opponents, much like the little jabs Phil Jackson dishes out to the media right before a big game.

When he *****es about bad beats, he is basically criticizing the other player for getting "lucky." This may have the effect of getting a weak-minded opponent to question their play in the future. I know this sounds silly but I think at that high level the players try to get any edge they can over each other.

Personally, I would pick Brunson over Chan. But other than that I think your list is solid.

Howard Lederer is definitely up there. So is Greg "FossilMan" Raymer. Dan Harrington is one of the all-time greats, IMO.

www.pokerblogdude.blogspot.com

Last year Dan Harrington finished the WSOP championship game (NLHE-10K buy-in)in third place out of a field of roughly 830. This year Harringtion finished the WSOP big event in fourth place out of a field of nearly 2600, earning 1.5 million. (Yes, that's for 4th place, folks)

To be at the final table two years running is flat-out amazing when you consider the size of the field. Big Dan is truly one of the best NLHE players alive today. If you don't think so just ask any pro.

Everyone has their favorite players and everyone is entitled to their own opinions so here goes mine. Are the great players that we hear and see on TV really that great---think about it. How many final tables have you seen all these so-called poker superstars at lately? They enter all the big time tournaments they can and most make cameo appearances when the WTP or the WSOP shows the other tables in the tournaments. Dan Harrington is the only one that in my opinion is in the Super Star class lately anyhow. I mean if any halfway decent poker player plays as much as these guys do you have to get better and once in a while get to the final table if you enter every tournament there is I mean come on! The more you watch these so-called super stars play you start to wonder about some of them, when they get called by a non-pro they act stunned that someone would darn call them and when they get beat they come up with executes like another pro would of never called me on that play.

TV has shown a lot of people that it does not take any God given talent to be a great poker player. You don't have to be Tall, or Fast, or ber able to thrpo a 100 MPH fastball or kick a football or be huge to be a lineman, anyone out there, anyone can be a good poker player and win the only difference the so called Super Stars have is a HUGE BankRoll. Think about it...

I think what makes them "superstars" is their understanding of the game and the ability to read people. I will admit there's a lot of luck involved with poker, but there is some skill. On top of the math aspect, you also have to know when and how to bet each to get every chip possible out of your opponent. As for the superstars not living up to expectations lately, I think it could be frustration. Think about it, you're a pro that's been sitting at tables for years with other pros. All of a sudden poker gets this big kick in the *** and you're surrounded by hundreds of hacks that have some extra money to blow. Have you ever played against someone who has no idea what they are doing, and not wanted to call the poker gods and have them *****-slap that person for the dumb moves that they make? The pros make their moves, most of the time, where they should, unfortunately, the amateurs make stupid moves that shouldn't be made and they get lucky and out draw a solid hand. That's how common folk like Moneymaker wrongfully get classified superstars or a tough competitor, he's a lucky defending chump, no typo. I say, don't lose faith in your pros, they just need some time to get used to playing against idiots. In a year or so, I think they should be able to beat up on the fish again. Look out!

what makes you think johnny chen is the best poker player?

Anyone who knows anything will tell you Stu Ungar is the best there ever was or will be. There is a great article on www.philhellmuth.com on the hand of the week section. The guy could put you on your hand no matter what it was. Just unreal the way this guy had the gift!

I rank them

Ungar
Harrington
Hellmuth
Brunson (Say he is to old then look where he finished this year)
Chan


Ivey and Negruanu are both young and upcoming but it will be a few years until they are at these other guys level!

1. Phil Gordon
2. Barry Greenstein
3. Howard Leaderer
4. Antonoio Esfandari
5. Doyle Brunson

Gus Hanson.......PERIOD.....

agree with toni but russian rocket ive been playin for a year now and im 13... id love to play u, do pla online?

best tournament players????
-Well ive heard that T.J. Cloutier is supposed to be one of the best tournament players but i guess Stu's bracelets speak for themselves. I tell you who i would be most afraid of playing, doyle. he has that smooth aggresion where you know that you cant just call him, cuz he'll end up putting you all in. you gotta re-raise him to get him out of the hand if hes bluffing and if not then your hand better be good.
Man that D'Agostino kid is sure good as well and i hear hes only like 21 or 22.

I totally agree with you...thats a very good list..( that probly is why phil helmuth acts like that to... he is probly trying to get in the other players heads that they are luckier than him so they will play weaker thinking luck willl help them...Even in one of his books he talks about firing up the game..he is tryin to get people to play sloppier ..probly so he can tighten up and start winning..)Im 14 i play a lot of poker and have been playing for like 2 years now...I just won a $105 ...I've read so many poker books .

i would have to agree with barry greenstein (sp)

Sure... that is a good list.. Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan all deserve to be on that list. I DO NOT believe Phil Helmuth should be on that list whatsoever.. He creates more waterworks than the Niagara falls. A good poker player requires good sportsmanship.. so if you lose to a little bit of luck, oh well, that's part of the game. A hand shake is always great sportsmanship. Phil just stomps right off with that look of disgust.. that's poor sportsmanship. He is extremely rude at times to other players.
I also think your forgetting someone.. let's see.. oh yea Gus Hansen. He is a God. If you watch him and only him during any poker game.. he is unbelievable. He plays like no other player. He is the most agressive and one of the smartest players I know... I just watched him defeat Johnny chan in heads up play. Gus Hansen is the future of poker and alot.. ALOT of people are going to look up at him as a role model for when it comes to poker. Message me back if you have anything to say about my comment. Thank you.

BradFF, where do I begin? To say that Phil Helmuth doesn't belong on the list of top poker players is one of the most ignorant and asinine statements I have ever heard. Sure, he creates a lot of drama and isn't the classiest player out there, but it sells. But regardless, I didn't know sportsmanship was one of the qualifications of being great. I guess T.O. isn't a great receiver because he has poor sportsmanship. Ron Artest is the best defender in the NBA, but because of the drama he's caused, he's actually not that good. Thats ridiculous. Phil Helmuth is at the very top of the list, regardless of his antics. And Gus Hansen? He's a great player, don't get me wrong - but he's too wreckless and really not that good. I mean, how many bracelets has he won? Sure, he's won a couple WPT tournaments, but thats all. He doesn't consistently win because he's too wreckless. I put him in the top 20, but certainly not the top 5. I loved the Niagra Falls analogy by the way. Nice touch.