I'm going to have to go with Daniel Negreanu.
I've never seen a player who can tell his opponents what they're holding quite so consistently. To me, being able to read your opponents' hands is an invaluable skill in poker. Imagine if those X-Ray glasses you ordered when you were a kid actually worked. Just have a seat at the table, slip on the old X-Ray shades, and fold every losing hand and take down every pot every time they miss the flop.
Daniel Negreanu seems to have found some X-Ray contact lenses that really work. Either that or he's great.
He can also switch gears with great success. He can play like a rock and profit, or switch to playing any 2 cards and still add towers to his chipstack.

Honorable mention would have to go to the mathematical wizard Phil Gordon, who's style of play led to a revolution in how I play poker.

Other notables on my list of greats include Doyle Brunson (all these years and he's still got it), Phil Helmuth (he's got a load of bracelets, and that deserves some recognition), and Vanessa Rousso (she may or may not play well, I'm really not sure, but she sure is nice to look at!)

The Big Donk

I would have to go with Daniel Negreanu as well, I feel he has that great canny ability to read his oponents so well its unbelieveable.. Donk pretty much summed it all up in his post but i think hes one of the greatest!

I'll go for Gus Hansen,I just love to watch this guy at the tables!
and of course my hometown man,Nenad Medic!

Medic won himself a bracelet this year, in the first game I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The Big Donk wrote:Medic won himself a bracelet this year, in the first game I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right,he won WSOP#1 and $794,112 prize.

Daniel Negreanu, no doubt. He is amazing to watch in action. But as a WSOP dealer there are several of them that I like because they are simply some of the nicest people....Such as Greg Raymor, Humberto, Steve Deminen, etc.

Daniel Negreanu is by far my favorite poker play. I like his playing style. It is amazing how he just "knows" what his opponent has.. he is just one great poker play. I have belief that his name will last as long if not longer than Brunson!!!!

Debel wrote:Daniel Negreanu, no doubt. He is amazing to watch in action. But as a WSOP dealer there are several of them that I like because they are simply some of the nicest people....Such as Greg Raymor, Humberto, Steve Deminen, etc.

You're A WSOP dealer?? What is that like?? I don't want to take up room in the forum so if you would like to tell me some of your experiences please feel free to message me!!!

JLGilmore wrote:

Debel wrote:Daniel Negreanu, no doubt. He is amazing to watch in action. But as a WSOP dealer there are several of them that I like because they are simply some of the nicest people....Such as Greg Raymor, Humberto, Steve Deminen, etc.

You're A WSOP dealer?? What is that like?? I don't want to take up room in the forum so if you would like to tell me some of your experiences please feel free to message me!!!

I was wondering the same thing myself. As well as 'How do you land a gig like that?' and 'How's the pay?'

And take up all the room you'd like. We've got plenty!

The Big Donk

moneymaker...1 time for da donks!!

Well thats a tough question since i have three major favorites.

#1 is of course the man to beat in texas hold em none other then Phill Hellmuth he has 11 bracelets in the game. If that isnt proof I dont know what is. He plays just so good its nuts.

#2 Barry Greenstein I like his mix of aggresive plays and bluffs he just can pound his opponents into submission talk about a great player. Not to mention he donates all his tournament winnings to charity.

#3 Dan Harrington I dont know if you've noticed this but almost everytime Harrington plays a big time tourney he finishes at least ITM. Not to mention he won the battle of the champions on WPT last year defeating a long list of pros. I dont know what to say but hes great.

i don't have a favorite ... but thought i'd throw a couple names out for people who are interested to check into. there are a couple dozen big names which get promoted a lot a therefore associated as being the best, while other at least equal players are ignored.

for example, negraneau ... who is an excellent player. i watched him fold an ace when the board was a-k-k-k-a (think that was the sequence) ... and yes, his opponent had the king. that one looked really impressive, though he's made even tougher plays. however, when it comes to calling hands ... he picks a hand from the range he puts an opponent on and throws it out there ... once in a while he gets it right, and the t.v. programs love to replay those hands ... so people watching get a different sense of him than is really true.

most of you have probably heard of tom dwan by now ... he's becoming more well known, but among many elite players and 'industry' types, is considered the best player in the world today. he began as an online players and is now playing and winning at the highest stakes live/online cash games.

personally, i would be interested to see how stu unger would have done were he still alive. for example ... phil ivey's game is largely based on the style of play that unger made successful.

these two people are/were semi-well known ... there are many more excellent, yet relatively unknown players. i know this is a favorite, not best players thread ... i'm just encouraging people to check out the lesser known players, much can be learned and appreciated about them too.

oh ... and thats just for nlhe.

check out ray zee ... he doesn't go for the spotlight ... but for those of us who play oh8 and stud ... he's a great person to learn from.

Alive= Layne Flack
Dead= Stu Unger
Gotta love Dolly,too, he has definitely paid his dues

Gus Hansen all the way. he loves the tight spots and has the juice to explode with a 7 2 offsuit. he can be as serious as aheartattact one second and roll off the table funny the next. he also has the gift of reading his apponents hands before they are laid down.