The Poker Junkie Blog

Players, authors, bloggers, journalists—there are quite a few and this could no doubt have been a “Top 1000 Most Influential”. But once you start to narrow it down it becomes increasingly obvious who really matters in poker.

1. Doyle Brunson

Anyone who has heard of poker has heard of Doyle Brunson – the two time consecutive World Series of Poker Main Event winner. Brunson has played professional poker for more than 50 years, and it should come as no surprise that he is the most influential individual in poker today. Even casual poker players have read his Super/System or Super/System

2. David Sklansky

Throughout the decades, David Sklansky has contributed to countless successful poker careers with books like The Theory of Poker, Hold’em for Advanced Players, and Tournament Poker for Advanced Players. Some of his early books may be a bit dated now, as most of them were written before the online poker boom, but historically speaking Sklansky is the #1 poker author and theorist.

3. Mike Sexton

Mike Sexton is known to the public as the World Poker Tour host and commentator, but his ties to the poker industry run deep, earning him the nickname “The Ambassador of Poker”. Of course, Sexton is also a notable poker player with a WSOP bracelet and a place in the Poker Hall of Fame.

4. Dan Harrington

Harrington, the tournament veteran who won the 1995 World Series of Poker has been hugely influential in the poker community thanks to his series of books covering all aspects of tournament play. Harrington on Hold’em volumes I-III are among the best-selling poker books of all time.

5. Phil Gordon

Phil Gordon is one of the most well-known names in poker, but not so much for being a successful poker player (which he is), but for being an expert commentator on Celebrity Poker Showdown. Amongst his peers, he is also renowned for his contribution to poker literature – mostly with his Little Green Book.

6. Barry Greenstein

Barry Greenstein is something as unusual as a philanthropist poker player, and is also known as “the Robin Hood of Poker”. Besides being a generally likeable guy, Greenstein has written a popular autobiography/strategy guide called Ace on the River, and used to appear frequently in GSN’s High Stakes Poker.

7. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson

Some WSOP Main Event wins have been attributed to luck more than skill, but Chris Ferguson’s is not one of those. As a part of Team Full Tilt, Ferguson proved once and for all that his highly mathematical poker works by turning $0 into more than $10,000, starting out with the site’s freerolls.

8. Phil Ivey

Ivey is one of those highly skilled and unpredictable players that others aspire to be like. He has no less than seven WSOP bracelets and one WPT title, and continues to go from strength to strength in high profile tournaments. Many consider Ivey the best player in the world right now.

9. Stu Ungar

Many consider Stu Ungar the greatest player of all time, but unfortunately he was burning the candle at both ends and died at age 43. Ungar is still – and will in all probability remain – the only player who has won the WSOP Main Event three times (except for Johnny Moss who won by a vote the first time).

10. Mason Malmuth

As co-author (alongside David Sklansky) of several high profile poker books, Malmuth is a top contributor to the careers of today’s high-stakes pros. He is also the founder and owner of Two Plus Two Publishing.

11. Mike Caro

“The Mad Genius of Poker” has contributed to Doyle Brunson’s Super/System and is a poker authority in his own right. His most popular work is no doubt Caro’s Book of Poker Tells.

12. Chris Moneymaker

Even if he didn’t create it, Moneymaker certainly helped fuel the (online poker) boom by winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event and $2.5 million via a $40 satellite at PokerStars. As an unknown face at the time, he proved that even an amateur could become a poker world champion.

13. Daniel Negreanu

With his highly unpredictable playing style and superior hand reading skills, Daniel Negreanu is another one of those players who other players want to be, but invariably fail to imitate. Negreanu’s is one of the best known faces in the poker world, and amongst his many poker endeavors, he has contributed to Brunson’s Super/System 2.

14. Barney Frank

Congressman Barney Frank represents Massachusetts’s 4^th congressional district and is a well-known defender of civil rights issues. This includes those of poker players and their right to play online. Together with republican Ron Paul, Frank is one of the strongest opponents of the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act).

15. Chip Reese

After his untimely death at age 56, Doyle Brunson stated that Chip Reese had been “the best poker player that ever lived”. Reese contributed to the Seven-Card Stud section for Brunson’s Super/System, and the year before his death he won the incredibly prestigious $50,000 HORSE event in the World Series of Poker.

16. Johnny Chan

Johnny Chan is one of the few players, and probably the last, to win the WSOP Main Event twice in a row. He is one of the most recognized faces in poker, not only thanks to his many tournament wins, but because of his cameo appearance in the movie Rounders and participation in NBCs Poker After Dark.

17. Tony G

Antanas Gouga – better known as Tony G – has left a noteworthy imprint on the poker world; partly because of his frequent misbehaving at the tournament tables, but also by owning and operating several high traffic poker sites such as pokernews.com.

18. Avery Cardoza

Any self-respecting gambler has read a book or ten from Cardoza Publishing. Avery Cardoza himself has written numerous books on all forms of gambling including poker, and published many, many more.

19. Johnny Moss

The late Johnny Moss is often referred to as poker’s “Grand Old Man”. He was one of the original players in the World Series of Poker, and won the Main Event three times – 1970, 1971, and 1974.

20. Alfonse D’Amato

Former United States Senator Alfonse D’Amato works – as chairman of the Poker Player Alliance – to improve the adverse political climate facing US poker players.

21. Benny Binion

As the proprietor of Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, the late Benny Binion created the World Series of Poker. Unfortunately he never lived to see how big it would eventually become – in 1973 he allegedly speculated that the tournament might one day have “as many as 50 entrants.”

22. Scotty Nguyen

It’s been a tumultuous journey for Scotty Nguyen, moving from Vietnam to America and eventually becoming one of the world’s most successful and recognizable poker players. He has won several prestigious events – most notably the 1998 WSOP Main Event and the 2008 $50,000 HORSE World Championship.

23. John Pappas

As Executive Director in the Poker Players Alliance, John Pappas advocates the poker player’s cause at the highest political level, trying for one thing to change discriminating laws relating to poker in the US.

24. Ron Paul

Paul is a republican congressman who has sided with democrat Barney Frank against the UIGEA – defending the rights for Americans to place bets and play poker online.

25. Steve Rosenbloom

As a journalist and sports blogger (with “Rosenblog”) at Chicago Tribune, Steve Rosenbloom has helped bring poker to the mainstream by incorporating the game into his commentary.

26. Phil Hellmuth

The (in)famous “poker brat” hardly needs an introduction; he is currently the player with the most WSOP bracelets, and has produced a few awful books and DVDs such as “Million Dollar Secrets,” where he really shares none of the secrets to his success.

27. Howard Lederer

Lederer has spent most of his life playing poker, and now he is also working for the PPA. He has created several popular instructional videos that have earned him the “professor of poker” nickname. Howard’s sister is the equally famous Annie Duke.

28. Annie Duke

Annie Duke (born Lederer and sister to Howard) is just as accomplished a poker player as her brother. She has written several popular poker books and alongside Phil Hellmuth she is sponsored by Ultimate Bet.

29. Greg Raymer

Greg “Fossilman” Raymer won the 2004 Main Event, earning him fame, $5 million, and a place in Team PokerStars. Nowadays he also works for the Poker Players Alliance.

30. Sam Farha

His official website claims he’s “poker’s hottest player,” and although that might be a stretch, Farha is definitely one of the most respected and feared players at high-stakes Omaha and Hold’em tables alike.

31. Tom McEvoy

McEvoy has four World Series of Poker bracelets, including one from the 1983 Main Event. He has written or co-authored numerous influential books on poker strategy, and been a frequent contributor to CardPlayer Magazine.

32. T.J. Cloutier

Thomas James Cloutier is a successful poker player and member of the Poker Hall of Fame. Alongside Tom McEvoy, he has written some of the most influential books on tournament poker strategy.

33. Allyn Jaffrey Shulman

Being a Las Vegas resident, Shulman has participated in quite a few tournaments, but she is mostly known as one of the leading experts on gambling law. She is both a columnist for CardPlayer Magazine and an honorary member of the PPA (Poker Players Alliance).

34. Joe Hachem

Lebanese-Australian Joe Hachem is one of the players who have netted the most in tournament winnings – more than $10 million, of which the 2005 WSOP Main Event earned him $7.5 of those millions. He is also one of the sponsored pros at PokerStars.

35. Ed Miller

Miller is part of the Two Plus Two publishing team and author of a number of popular poker books – one of them being No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice, written by him and his mentor David Sklansky.

36. Mike Matusow

Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is mostly associated with his nickname and frequent blowups that have made him equally loved and hated by fans and fellow poker players.

37. Jennifer Harman

Jennifer Harman is one of few female players at the really high stakes. She is often called the best female player in the world, but she’s also one of the best players in the world, period. Harman has two WSOP bracelets and can be seen on High Stakes Poker.

38. Bill Robertie

Although he is primarily a Backgammon player and strategist, Robertie has also been noted in the poker community–mainly due to his work with Dan Harrington on the Harrington on Hold’em series.

39. Jeffrey Pollack

As Commissioner and President of the World Series of Poker, Jeffrey Pollack has a considerable influence on the poker world.

40. James McManus

McManus is a poker player, columnist and author of the best-seller Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion’s World Series of Poker.

41. Linda Johnson

Linda Johnson is a professional poker player and also part of the board of directors in the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

42. Bob Ciaffone

Nicknamed “The Coach,” Ciaffone is perhaps best known for helping other poker players improve their game, but he’s a distinguished player in his own right and made it to third place in the 1987 WSOP Main Event.

43. Jack Binion

Jack is the son of Benny and took over as proprietor of Binion’s Horseshoe – original host of the WSOP and one of the most successful casinos in Nevada.

44. Anthony Holden

With his modern classic Big Deal: A Year as a Professional Poker Player, Anthony Holden has helped draw attention to poker for years. In 2007 he released a follow-up called Bigger Deal: A Year inside the Poker Boom.

45. Todd Brunson

As the son of the world’s most influential poker player, Todd Brunson has had a good teacher. He has appeared frequently on High Stakes Poker and has contributed to his father’s book, Super/System 2. His father thinks Todd could be the best player in the world—if he tried.

46. Lou Krieger

Krieger has written several popular books including the popular Hold’em Excellence, and is also a columnist in Card Player Magazine.

47. David Apostolico

Apostolico is a successful tournament player who has authored several notable books, including Tournament Poker and the Art of War, and Machiavellian Poker Strategy.

48. Ray Zee

Ray Zee is one of the Two Plus Two authors who has contributed to the poker world with classics like High-Low-Split Poker and Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players.

49. Rich Muny

Muny is a poker player and mechanical engineer who is now working with the PPA to ensure a better future for poker playing Americans.

50. Alan Schoonmaker

Schoonmaker has written several books on the topics of poker and psychology, most notably The Psychology of Poker.

51-54. The Hendon Mob

The Hendon Mob consists of four British gentlemen: Joe Beevers, Barny Boatman, Ross Boatman and Ram Vaswani. The group initially made a name for itself when it was sponsored by the Prima Poker Network (now known as Microgaming). All of the four members have successful tournament poker careers, and also operate a popular tournament poker player database online.

55. Sam Braids

Braids is an expert at both poker and chess, and shares his wisdom online as well as in bestselling books such as The Intelligent Guide to Texas Hold’em Poker.

56. Matthew Hilger

Being part of the online poker boom himself, Matthew Hilger has written several popular books and articles on the subject.

57. Andy Bloch

Andy Bloch is a successful tournament professional, but also known as a former member of the MIT team of card-counting blackjack players featured in the book Bringing Down the House.

58. Marsha Waggoner

Marsha Waggoner is also known as “The Grand Dame of Poker” – a nickname inspired by a long and successful career lined with respectable WSOP finishes in several poker variations.

59. John Brokopp

Brokopp’s gaming columns appear in several prominent newspapers and magazines.

60. John Vorhaus

Vorhaus is not a high profile tournament player, but still well known in the community as the author of Killer Poker and other popular books.