Let’s explore the TOP 10 poker kings of all time. These are all experts with impressive achievements as they continuously win major tournaments. At the same time, they have also brought home huge prize money from playing Poker. This list is compiled by the prestigious New York Times magazine.
1. Poker King Arnold Rothstein – A Legendary Figure
Arnold Rothstein is one of the legendary poker players from the 1990s. Rothstein is known as the New York mob boss with a genius mind and many high-stakes games. Rothstein was involved in many illegal activities, including gambling. He was even investigated for the biggest baseball game-fixing scandal in American history.
At the same time, Rothstein was also the one who gathered and connected numerous small mob gangs. Later, this poker king turned them into a large organization. Rothstein’s most famous quote is: “There are days I bet 20 times, but there are days, weeks, months I don’t bet at all because I don’t see the opportunity. But once I see them, I go all in.”
2. Notorious Poker Player – Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal
The second name on the list of poker kings is Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal. He was one of the most notorious players and the owner of the largest casino in the 1950s. He was so skilled that the largest mob group at the time, Outfit, had to recruit him. Initially, Frank Rosenthal frequently participated in sports betting. His decisions could change the odds dramatically. Then, in 1968, Rosenthal moved to Las Vegas and began his Poker career. Here, he transformed traditional casinos entirely. Sports betting titles were added to the gaming system. At the same time, many beautiful women were also used to deal cards to attract players.
3. True Poker God – Dan Bilzerian
Dan Bilzerian, born in 1980, will be the next poker king on the list. Despite having to bear a debt of up to 89 million dollars at the age of 9 due to his corrupt father, Dan Bilzerian still succeeded in becoming a billionaire with a massive fortune.
True Poker God – Dan BilzerianHis main job is a professional race car driver, and Dan is also a stuntman for many action films. However, poker is the primary and largest source of income for this player. Accordingly, during the most difficult period of his life, Dan Bilzerian sold all his assets to gamble. With just 750 dollars, he quickly earned 10,000 dollars. After that, he set foot in Las Vegas and walked on his true poker god path.
4. The Best Poker Player Today – Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey – The father of the Edge sorting technique that makes many casinos “hesitant”. Ivey was born in 1976 in New Jersey, USA. Since he was young, he has been exposed to poker through his grandfather’s guidance. This seems to be the “destiny” of the card player. Because when he was in high school, Ivey used a fake nickname and participated in many large casinos in the USA. Up to now, Ivey has won 10 championships in WSOP tournaments. In fact, he even made it to the final round of the WSOP Main Event in 2009. Therefore, Ivey is considered the best card player today. Learn more about the poker legend – Phil Ivey here.
5. Kerry Packer from Billionaire to King of Gambling
The fifth name on the list of poker kings is Kerry Packer. He does not have as much talent as other poker kings. However, Kerry’s strength is “money”. He was born in 1937 in Australia and was one of the richest billionaires at that time. With a passion for gambling, Kerry often frequented casinos. He played without caring about winning or losing, because according to Kerry, that is just a small number. This made many casinos both worried and happy whenever this billionaire visited. One of the most famous stories about Kerry Packer is at a Poker tournament. When witnessing an oil investor sitting and “talking” about his 60 million dollar assets. He pulled out a coin and asked if this guy wanted to bet all the money he had.
6. The Poker God Haralabos Voulgaris
Haralabos Voulgaris, born in 1975 in Canada, is also one of the poker legends worth mentioning. Although he does not operate much in this field, the huge prize money that Bos has earned is enough to make him appear on this list. Bos is considered the most successful bettor of all time in the NBA basketball league.
Poker God – Haralabos VoulgarisBecause of this, most of his life is closely associated with basketball. Currently, Ewing – Bos’s winning betting software has brought this player millions of dollars each year. When asked about his future plans recently, Bos replied: “Maybe I will buy an NBA basketball team.” You can easily gain some useful betting experiences about both poker and basketball if you regularly follow this guy’s blog.
7. The Poker King That Other Players Fear – Archie Karas
The seventh name on the list of poker kings is none other than Archie Karas. He is famous for the legend of earning 40 million dollars in 3 years by participating in Poker confrontations. Archie made all the card players of that time feel hesitant, even some legends had to admit defeat to this player. However, besides Poker, Archie is also interested in many other gambling games. Therefore, he has almost lost all his assets to Baccarat or Craps games. Currently, Archie still participates in the WSOP tournament regularly every year.
8. The Once Legendary Poker Player – Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson, born in 1933 in Texas, USA, is one of the Poker legends that even now, when mentioned, many people are still amazed. His career began after a serious injury that prevented him from participating in basketball anymore.
Due to extreme boredom, Doyle learned to play Poker, from which he realized his abilities and opportunities. He has won the Main Event of the WSOP twice and officially became a legend among legends. This shows that the idea of living by gambling is not something too far-fetched, right?
9. Notorious poker player – Stu Ungar
Stu is another Jewish poker king on this list. He is known as a genius of Gin Rummy and Poker. Throughout his youth, Stu continuously played and won Gin Rummy. However, when he realized that no one wanted to play this game with him anymore, Stu shifted to Poker, a much more popular game.
And shortly after, Stu emerged in the community as a strong player with a fast, aggressive style that was completely different from the common playing style at that time. After winning the WSOP Main Event twice, Stu began to decline, leading to a deterioration in his health and becoming impoverished. However, a friend decided to invest and help Stu rise to glory once again. Ultimately, due to a gambling addiction, Stu was found dead in a hotel.
10. The best poker king – Tony Bloom
Finally, the best poker king in the world on this list is Tony Bloom. He was born in 1970 in England and also rose to fame with his exceptional sports betting skills. Tony has continuously won huge prizes thanks to his analysis and excellent mathematical ability. Besides betting, Poker is also a card game that this player loves. His nickname in the community is The Lizard due to his extremely cold-blooded playing style with high stakes in professional Poker games. If anyone asks if gambling can make you rich, you can share information about Tony with them. Tony believes that Poker helps players accurately read situations while making quick decisions under great pressure.
Conclusion about poker kings
Since its inception, Poker has always been a favorite card game among players at the largest casinos in the world. This article has introduced you to 10 poker kings throughout the past 100 years. Hopefully, this will be a source of inspiration to help you gain motivation to get rich from poker. In case you want to improve your playing skills, please refer to the Edge sorting technique, which is very interesting.
