Famous Poker Players

Since the beginning, poker has been a game of hardened skill - of careful deceit and respect for lady luck. Although literally millions of poker players float in the pool of mediocrity, some have risen above the competition and made history. Sometimes its by winning big and breaking world records; sometimes its by making your face famous, that poker face that made you rich. But in any case, the greatest poker players are the smartest and the best at what they do.

After winning ten World Series of Poker (WSOP) matches, Doyle Brunson rose to the top of the heap as one of the most successful poker players of all time. Doyle began his career as a basketball player, but a knee injury robbed him of fame on that floor...so he moved on to the next, taking his fathers place as a WSOP bracelet winner. Since the ultimate goal of poker is to win money, it is fitting to begin with the guy who really struck it rich - Doyle, whose nickname is Texas Dolly due to a misreading of his name, was the first player to win a million dollars in one tournament. Doyle plays Texas Holdem, a sort of specialty for him, and his minimum bets always exceed $4,000, usually more into the range of $8,000.

Johnny Chan is the only competition for Texas Dolly as far as WSOP wins, currently tied with ten wins. His nickname is The Orient Express, due to the idea that he simply barrels through his competition. His face is easily recognizable to any poker player, because he makes it a habit of appearing regularly on televised poker tournaments. He also appeared in the film Rounders, which brought him even more into the publics view. Chan was born in China and after immigrating to the United States, his family opened a Chinese restaurant. At the age of 21, Chan dropped out of college to pursue his professional poker career; and, unlike so many others, this jackpot of a player succeeded in his ultimate dream.

In the arena of style and class, no player has risen to the heights of Chris Jesus Ferguson, who plays and dresses with a charisma not often seen in professional rings. Hes known for his ornamental cowboy hat and dark sunglasses, as well as for his innate ability to rule over the game with speed and precision. He was originally educated as a computer scientist, and some speculate that his ability to handle numbers and his logical skills give him the upper hand in the game.

Inspired by the film Rounders, Chris Moneymaker rose from obscurity into fame over the period of a single year. In 2003, he moved from an online poker site to the WSOP, which he won, amassing a whopping 2.5 million dollars. He plays aggressively and well, known for his cool even in the heat of battle.

Poker players come from all walks of life, all nationalities, and all backgrounds. It just takes a bit of ability, an unreadable poker face, and a nod or two from lady luck to be among the winners.

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