Top Ten Poker Accomplishments of All Time

October 6th, 2009

Top Ten Greatest Poker Accomplishments of All Time
by tournament players

I decided to do the Top Ten Greatest Poker Tournament Accomplishments of all time. I know I’m going to get allot of criticism on where I placed people on the list and who I included and or left out. The truth is, it was pretty damn hard to place these poker players in order. I welcome all input, and may very well change it based on readers input. Feel free to email me at XXTiltstreamXX@mac.comXX (remove XX’s). Feel free to post this on any forum provided you link back here.

Phil Ivey Photo

1. Phil Ivey – Phil Ivey is regarded as the best all around poker player in the world by many of his peers and the poker world as a whole. I’m placing Phil Ivey at number one for winning multiple bracelets in a World Series of Poker on multiple occasions. I’m writing this one month before Phil is set to play as one of the November 9 Phil has made it to the final table of the 2009 World Series of Poker outlasting 6,486 people. If he wins this event, he will be at the top of the all time money list, will be the only double 3 bracelet winner, and he will have his 8th bracelet. Right now he does have a triple double (3 bracelets in a year and 2 in another year). Phil Ivey’s 2002-2003 seasons is one of the greatest poker feats in itself. In 2002 Phil won 3 bracelets, then in 2003 he won the $ 2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo WPT event, won the $ 1,500 Seven Card Stud WPT event, and finished 2nd in the $ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em Championship WPT! In 2003 he was robbed of the final table when Chris Moneymaker spiked an ace on the river to trump his full house. On top of all these achievements, Phil won 16 million plus against billionaire Andy Beal in the largest cash game to date. The largest high stakes game in history was written about by poker writer turned poker pro Michael Craig.

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Phil Hellmuth Photo

2. Phil Hellmuth – Phil Hellmuth is at number 2 for having the most bracelets at 11. He has won all 11 bracelets in NL Holdem which makes him the best NL Holdem tournament player of all time. Eleven WSOP bracelets is truly mind boggling and Phil is still not respected by most, giving him even more of an advantage. People really truly don’t understand how much of a poker phenomenon he is. Phil will go down as one of the greatest poker players to ever walk the earth.

Doyle Brunson Photo

3. Doyle Brunson – Doyle Brunson not only has achieved 10 Bracelets in the World Series of Poker, but is one of the all time winning cash game players in the world. Doyle still is sharp at it ripe old age. Doyle won his 10th bracelet and a WPT title in his 70’s. Doyle can claim responsibility for the top performing internet players too… Most of them have read Super System 1 and 2 and have gained years of knowledge in a short period of time with little expense. Doyle is the “Godfather” of the poker world and respected by many. He has to be close to Chip Reese in all time cash winnings (if not past him).

Johnny Chan Photo

4. Johhny Chan – In 1987 Johnny Chan won the WSOP main event, in 1988 he won the main event once again, and in 1989 he finished second in the main event. Johnny is tied for second place on the bracelet list with Doyle Brunson at 10. He has 2 amazing achievements under his belt – back to back bracelets and then 10 total bracelets!

Erik Seidel Photo

5. Erik Seidel – Erik has won 8 bracelets and is won of the strongest tournament players in the game. Erik is one of the best limit holdem players around. He got his start at the Marfair Club in New York city. Erik had a little slump and now is back in full force. Erik has performed well in both eras, pre Moneymaker (small fields), and post Moneymaker (large fields). Another attribute that sets Erik apart is his performance in all variants of poker, he doesn’t just excel in NL or just in Stud,he rocks at all of them!

Daniel Negreanu Photo

6. Daniel Negreanu – Daniel Negreanu recently became the all time money leader in poker tournament history. Daniel has an amazing tounament history in both the WSOP and WPT. He recently finished 2nd in the WSOPE after arriving at the table short-stacked. Daniel has been a consistent performer in both cash games and tournament play. congratulations in topping the the all time money list. Daniel aslo boasts being the all time money winner on the World Poker Tour.

Scotty Nguyen Photo

7. Scotty Nguyen – Scotty Nguyen is one of the most under rated poker players in the world. People don’t take him serious because of his joking silly attitude at the table, but Scotty means business, and he has used this to his advantage. Scotty is 6th on the all time money list and has 5 bracelets. Scotty has a WPT title, WSOP main event title, and 50k H.o.r.s.e. title. Scotty has a long list of final tables, and is one of poker’s greatest players.

Chris Ferguson Photo

8. Chris Ferguson – Chris ranks 17th on the all time money list with nearly $8,000,000 in winnings. Chris is also 3rd in all time cashes int he WSOP with 61. Chris has had an amazing 2003 in the world series of poker with 2 bracelets, and 7 cashes total with 5 final tables!

Jeff Lisandro

9. Jeff Lisandro – Jeff Lisandro’s 2009 WSOP is an amazing achievement. He got three, thats right, three bracelets in the 2009 WSOP.
All of these were in variations of seven card stud. One was in Seven Card Stud, one in Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, and one in Razz. In 2007 he had to beat Nick Frangos heads up for that bracelet (little Nicky is regarded as the best stud player in the world). Jeff is now at the pinnacle of Stud poker. If Jeff continues to place in other variants of poker, and continue to amass cashes, he will surly rank higher in all time greatest poker achievements.

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Stu Ungar Photo

10. Stu Ungar – Stu Ungar won the World Series of Poker main event 3 times. This is clearly one of the greatest poker accomplishments. Stu Ungar also won the Super Bowl of Poker 3 times. The cash awards were not joke in the Super Bowl of Poker, as Stu won over 200k in each of those events. Stu had a another chance to win the main event, but the event started and Stu was not in attendance (Stu had overdosed and was taken to the emergency room). Stu in the top 100 on the all time money list. Thats a an accomplishment in itself considering the top prizes in the years he was playing, and that he died in 1998. Had he lived, and remained clean, he would be at number one for sure. If this was “The greatest gin accomplishments of all time” Stuey would be at the top of that too.

Honorable mention

Johnny Moss – Johnny Moss had 9 bracelets before he died and was also the best player of his time.

David “Chip” Reese – Most people would put Chip Reese at the top of this list. However, I’m mostly going by tournament accomplishments even though I mention cash games. Chip is most likely the all time leader in cash game wins. Won the inaugural 50k Horse event for 2 million.

Juan Carlos Mortensen – Carlos Mortensen holds titles in the World Poker Tour main event and the 25k WPT championship event. Carlos is 13th on the all time money list.