The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is back after a 14-year hiatus, bringing together some of the greatest players from around the globe. Can you guess who they are? Find out below.
Phil Ivey
One of the most successful and famous poker players in history, Ivey has won USD 56M in his career so far. He’s won 2 WSOP bracelets, 3 WPT titles, 5 WCOOP titles, 1 EPT title and many other major tournaments. In addition, he has been named the number 1 online poker star by Pocketfives magazine.
Daniel Negreanu
He was once considered ‘The Next Big Thing’ on the professional poker circuit. But things haven’t gone quite well for him lately. However, he still holds three WSOP rings and 9 bracelets overall. To add more, he’s also earned nearly $30M in live tournament winnings.
Antonio Esfandiari
Esfandiari got into poker fairly late and became an instant success. At first, he made it to the final table of the 2003 World Championship of Online Poker but lost to eventual champion Jamie Gold. He went on to win the 2004 European Poker Tour London, making him the youngest-ever winner of that event. Since then, he’s been playing and winning big time!
Vanessa Feltz
She might not be the biggest name among other top stars, but what makes her special is that she’s British and has achieved so much despite having such a small country behind her. She started off being a member of Team PokerStars Pro before moving over to Full Tilt where she quickly rose through the ranks by becoming the No.1 Women’s Poker Player in April 2010. Her online achievements include finishing 4th in the 2011 Ladies’ Event at the ECPLT.
Vanessa Selbst
She’s probably the best female poker player in the world right now. Having won several smaller events, Selbst made it to the final tables of the 2008 and 2009 WSOP Main Events, finishing runner-up in each. Just last month, she made headlines when she eliminated Annie Duke from the $10K Heads Up Challenge.
Doyle Brunson
He’s another legendary poker pro who has no problem taking down great events. Besides the fact that he’s one of the few players to have appeared in both Main Events and side events of the WSOP, he’s very fond of holding multiple bracelets. As of now, he holds 7 WSOP bracelets. His total lifetime earnings are estimated to be about $80 million.
John Juanda
He’s yet another multi-bracelet winner. Known mostly for his skills in heads-up play, Juanda has finished runner-up twice in different WSOP main events. Moreover, he has two gold medals from the 2006 Asian Games.
Patrik Antonius
He’s been called “the world’s best online grinder.” This Swedish poker player has been dominating the game since its early days. He currently sits near the top 10 highest earners in terms of online tournament wins.
Jennifer Harman
She’s known for her tough style of play. If there were any doubts, she would remove them with a couple of big bets. After beating her father in a Heads-Up match, she eventually took down the 2006 World Championship of Online Poker.
Dan Harrington
He’s one half of the infamous “Harrington/Nitsche team” which has seen them finish runner-up in the 2008 WSOP Main Event. He was even ranked #36 in the world for a while.
Tom Dwan
He’s probably one of the biggest names in poker today. He came out of nowhere to become the second biggest earner in 2009. However, a lot of people still don’t know why he left SCOOP and decided to start a new career. What do you think?
Viktor Blom
He’s known for his aggressive style of play that involves a lot of bluffing. He’s only 32 years old but his accomplishments speak for themselves already. Some of his wins include two WSOP titles, 3 EPT titles and one WCOOP title.
Gus Hansen
He’s considered by many to be the second-best Danish player behind Ole Schemion. The Dane became famous back during his time with Full Tilt Poker and later PokerStars.
Jason Mercier
He’s widely regarded as one of the most talented players in the world. He’s previously won two WSOP bracelets and made huge headlines after beating Phil Hellmuth’s heads-up last year.
Jonathan Duhamel
He’s always been considered one of the toughest players in the game. As such, he finished runner-up in the 2007 WSOP Main Event before going on to win the bracelet shortly thereafter.
Joe Hachem
He’s been competing in the WSOP since 2008 and managed to finish in the Money List of the 2009 main event.
Brian Rast
He’s a poker player from Germany whose major claim to fame is winning his first World Series of Poker title back in 2016.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that these guys have earned their stripes, making them true legends in the industry. Their combined resumes are incredible and they deserve to be recognized as the best players at the WSOP. They’re certainly deserving of the number 1 spot!