Poker is probably one of the most luxurious gambles in the world, and playing it is not easy peasy. That is why famous poker players are very much celebrated by the elite. Due to their great skill, fascinating personalities, and remarkable triumphs, poker has produced some of the most well-known individuals in the world.
Doyle Brunson wearing a blue polo shirt, black coat, a watch, and a white hat
Doyle Brunson is one of the first poker players to be regarded as a legend.
Brunson used to travel around North America playing informal poker tournaments and games in pubs and private settings before The World Poker Series existed.
He has over ten World Series of Poker bracelets and two Main Event victories in his professional poker career.
Doyle Brunson's novels Super System and Super System 2 are well-known.
Bryn Kenney wearing a poker jersey shirt and sunglasses while playing poker
Bryn Kenney is an American professional poker player who grew up in Long Beach, New York.
During the course of his gaming career, he amassed a total of $56,403,500. Kenney has been playing since 2007.
With a win of $20,563,324 at the 2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, he has the single biggest win.
Bryn Kenney spent his childhood playing Magic: The Gathering, a formerly prominent card game, before becoming one of the best poker players.
Kenney was able to achieve significant success in the game and was able to transition more easily into the more lucrative game of poker as a result of his exceptional skills.
Kenney didn't devote his full attention to poker until 2007 when he entered his first tournament.
He then finished 28th at the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2010, winning $255,242. This was his first win in the six-figure range.
Kenney went on to win his first WSOP bracelet in 2014 and his first seven-figure payday in 2016, when he won 1.7 million in PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
Kenney is still playing poker today and is considered one of the most powerful and famous poker players.
Justin Bonomo wearing a green tshirt while playing poker
Justin Bonomo is a professional poker player from the United States who specializes in high-stakes games.
On February 19, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to be seen at a televised final table when he finished fourth in the inaugural year of the European Poker Tour (EPT) at the French Open in Deauville, France.
Bonomo, just like Bryn Kenney, began his playing career as a Magic: The Gathering player before moving on to poker.
He has won up to three bracelets at the WSOP since then, as well as finishing in the money 50 times in this tournament.
Over the course of his career, Bonomo has earned 188 cash awards and 26 titles, and he has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
He had earned $48,508,778 in live tournaments as of August 9, 2019, making him the second-highest-earning live tournament player of all time behind Bryn Kenney.
Bonomo has a total cash prize of $14,292,554 in the World Series of Poker, 19 final tables, 3 bracelets, and 1 circuit ring.
Daniel Negreanu wearing a suit while playing poker
Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player.
He has six World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour championship victories to his credit.
Daniel Negreanu was hired as PokerStars' brand ambassador in 2007. He remained in that position until 2019.
Negreanu is well-known for his exceptional ability to correctly read his opponents' cards.
His prowess at the table, as well as his engaging attitude, have earned him the title of fan favorite.
He has won more than $42 million in total throughout the course of his illustrious career.
He's played in a number of high-stakes poker events during this time, including the Big One for One Drop in 2014 and the Super High Roller Bowl in 2018, in which he finished second overall in both of these tournaments.
Vanessa K. Selbst, a former professional poker player, holds the distinction of being the only woman in the history of the Global Poker Index to ever reach the top spot.
She used to be a member of Team Pokerstars Pro and has won more than $11.8 million in live poker tournaments.
She goes by the name "V. Selbst" on Pokerstars.
Vanessa Selbst was a professional poker player for 15 years, competing in 21 live poker tournaments and amassing a personal fortune of approximately $12 million.
Kristen Bicknell wearing a purple sweater while playing poker
Kristen Bicknell is a well-known figure in Canadian professional poker.
Bicknell was born in the city of St. Catharines in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Jennifer Harman, a professional poker player, was a source of inspiration for her, and she would watch her on Poker After Dark.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, live poker tournaments were canceled for the bulk of 2020, instead, Bicknell competed in a variety of online poker series throughout the year.
She won nine times in the online Super High Roller Bowl series, including a $236,000 prize for finishing third in a $25,500 buy-in tournament.
Bicknell finally won the $2500 No-Limit Hold'Em 6-Handed event of the World Series of Poker's 2020 online series, taking home $356,412 in the first place and her third WSOP bracelet.
As of March 2021, she had earned more than $5,188,000 from live events.
Bryn Kenney has the biggest poker win ever after winning over $20 million at the 2019 Triton Million for Charity in London.
Despite finishing second, he got this money thanks to a bargain he made with the eventual winner, Aaron Zang, who took home a little over $16.5 million.
Kenney has also won numerous more major tournaments and is a fixture on television poker broadcasts.
These are only a few of the most famous poker players in history.
We may be missing a few legends who made history in the world of poker but did not cut into the professional limelight before retiring or simply chose anonimity.
New players emerge, particularly in the online poker scene, where their identities are more hidden.
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