Who is your favorite poker pro?

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.

truckinloot wrote: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.

Buy you a BEER!!I thought that nobody like him! .Gus is unusual player,he like to play against books and unwritten rules of poker and thats why I like him.
and today I finally got opportunity to drink coffee with Nenad Medic,must say he's great guy!He came home for a few days to spend some earned money and to relax before next season start!I hope I'm going to learn something from him!

Phil Ivey. I think I have never, ever, seen him give any tells to his opponents. Even if he wins a monster pot with a royal flush, his face will still look like a mugshot. He is amazing at keeping his emotions under control.

partick antonius is also very adept at body control. i don't think his name has been mentioned yet, but definitely among the elite.
he is the best player i can currently think of at getting opponents to call when they have the weaker hand.

while watching part of a 'poker after dark' episode yesterday, in which daniel negraneau was a participant ... i should also mention that he is a player who makes being at the same table an enjoyable experience.
there are many players with great poker ability who will likely never get invited to any parties ... well, except maybe a roast!
but anyway, back to the original point of this post ... negraneau is not only a great player, but is also a great conversationalist and his conduct encourages people to come out and play live poker ... a benefit for the game as a whole.

Hey all, newbie here

My personal favorite goes to Chris Ferguson. He's not the most exciting player but I like the way he approaches the game and his heads-up record is great too.

Negreanu is a close second because of his plays but he also seems to be a fun guy to be around in general.

Allen Cunningham and Daniel Negreanu are two players with superior ability to read, among other skills. Watch the facial expressions of these guys as they absorb what's going on around the table.

[quote="Igor30"]

truckinloot wrote: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.

I love to watch Hansen and Mike Matusow at the same table. Matusow loves to call Hansen a donkey, I wonder if he really gets under Gus' skin? Hansen's odd playing style is such a target for criticism, but he has had success.

the way negraneau reads people i would have to go with him as my all around poker fav..but if its just holdem the guy with 11 braslets will be #1

Josh Tyler, basically because he has got to such a high level so early on in life, i wish i could do that! soon though, soon.
(and yes, i know lots of people have got high at a young age, and some younger, but josh just seems like he can beat the best already)

i played on FTP once with Allen Cunningham on the table
he and i both turned the nuts in various hands
and i think both of us knew each other weren't fishes
so we stayed out of each other ways

my favorite poker player is Barry Greenstein because he is so generous