Like golf, learning how to play poker is easy – but mastering the game and becoming a consistent winner takes many years of study and practice. Becoming a master in poker requires a lot of effort and training, as well as carefully weaving out a strategy that will help you outclass your opponents at every possible turn.
There are many poker tournaments worldwide and many poker players, but only a few can be the best. If you’re looking for a little inspiration for your next poker game, in this article, we’ll go over the top 10 most successful tournament poker players of all time. Like all of us, they started at the bottom and are now at the top.
Bryn Kenney
Bryn Kenney is a US-born poker player, currently sitting as the number 1 best tournament poker player worldwide. On the all-time tournament money list earned in poker, Bryn Kenney is positioned at an astounding $57,204,865. He was born in Long Beach, New York and used to play Magic the Gathering before getting started with poker strategy and then going poker pro. Bryn achieved his first success in 2014 when he won his first WSOP bracelet.
Justin Bonomo
Born in September 1985, Justin Bonomo is the world’s second-best tournament poker player with total winnings of $57,194,649, following very closely in Bryn’s wake. Born in Las Vegas, it’s no wonder he’s so good at poker! He is the youngest player to ever be featured on a televised poker finale in 2005. Before becoming a pro at poker, he also played Magic the Gathering.
Daniel Negreanu
A professional Canadian poker player born in Toronto on July 26, 1974, Negreanu has won six World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour championship titles. He was recognized as the best poker player of the decade by the Global Poker index in 2014. His total wins accumulated to $46,195,589.
Stephen Chidwick
With a total of $42,790,954 is Stephen Chidwick, the first Englishman on our list. He started playing in 2008 in online poker rooms under various nicknames through the ages. With one WSOP bracelet in 2019, he led the Global Poker Index from April through October of 2018, which is no small feat.
David Peters
American poker players are dominating this chart, and David Peters is one of them. He has total winnings of $40,678,767 and has constantly been playing since 2006, both worldwide and in the USA. His nickname is the “silent assassin”, which is quite fitting for a top 10 poker player. With 4 WSOP bracelets, he is holding steady his place in the top 10 best tournament poker players.
Erik Seidel
The US poker player Erik Seidel is at number 6, with a total of $39,777,266. Born in the land of poker, Las Vegas, he holds an astounding 9 WSOP bracelets and a World Poker Tour title. An amazing feat in itself, rightfully giving Erik 6th place on this list.
Dan Smith
In 7th place is Dan Smith. Another great US poker player with 1 WSOP bracelet and $38,840,741 total wins. Carrying the nicknames King Dan, Trucker Dan, and Cowboy Dan, he is firmly standing in 7th place with his WSOP bracelet won in 2022. Hopefully, it will be just one of many.
Jason Koon
Jason Koon comes from Weston, West Virginia, at 36 years old. He has a degree in MBA, and he claims that he started to play poker following an injury when he was younger. To try and avoid boredom, his roommate helped him learn Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, which stuck with him ever since. He has a total of 1 WSOP bracelet.
Phil Ivey
Players from the USA are completely dominating this list. Phil Ivey, in 9th place, is another worldwide famous poker player from the USA. He has total winnings of $37,683,181 and an amazing total of 10 WSOP bracelets, which rightfully earns him a place at the top 10 poker players’ table. From Riverside, California, he won his first-ever tournament in 2000.
Mikita Badziakouski
A player from Belarus in the 10th place on our top 10 list is Mikita Badziakouski. He started playing poker at the young age of 18 in live tournaments in 2010. One of his nicknames is fish2013, and he chose the number 2013 because that’s when he would turn 21, and he would be able to compete in the USA. He has a total of $35,553,764 and 1 WSOP bracelet.
