Abby discussed her summer working with Poker News and how it allowed her to meet and become friends with many of her poker idols. She explained her content creation strategy and how her experience as a reporter interviewing players about their strategies helped her improve her own game by learning about different approaches and perspectives. Abby also discussed her journey to becoming a professional poker player and shared a hand she played with Stephen Chidwick. She analyzed her betting strategy and decision-making process, discussing the range of hands Chidwick could have and ultimately deciding to fold on the river to a shove. The group discussed the importance of having a plan and being able to adjust when necessary, as well as the psychology of bluffing and the social dynamics of poker. They also talked about what comes next for Abby and the importance of letting loose at a karaoke bar every now and then!

Jim announced the upcoming RecPoker Weekend and encouraged listeners to attend. He also mentioned a bounty placed on him by his friend and nemesis Phil in event number two and explained that only RecPoker members can participate. Chris Jones asked about becoming a member, and Jim explained that it’s free and easy to sign up.

Jim and John Somsky recognized the winners of several poker games and offered them prizes. They emphasized the importance of staying involved in the community and highlighted the correlation between engagement and success. Plus we give away a free prize at the end for folks in the YouTube chat. Join us LIVE on YouTube next Monday at 7:30 ET for free to ask our guests questions in real time, and you can win too!

Abby is active on Twitter as @‌abbypoker34 and on Instagram and TikTok as @‌abbypoker

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RecPoker is a vibrant and encouraging poker learning community. We are committed to learning the game, but our priority is building healthy relationships where we can not only grow in the game, but grow in our enjoyment of life. The free membership website at rec.poker is awesome, but it’s just a tool to help us build that community. You can join for FREE, giving you access to the groups, forums, and other member benefits. If you want to enjoy the premium content, or become part of the RECing Crew, those options are available, and you can get $10 off your first payment using the code RECPOKER. Music by Peter Troolin, [email protected].

Time Stamps

Many interesting characters play in the poker world, and many of them are considered the best poker players ever on one metric or another. From the early days of professional poker, we have Stu Ungar, Sailor Roberts, Johnny Moss, and Amarillo Slim. For many fans, these players represent what a poker professional should be. Later, during the Moneymaker boom, players like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, and Tom Dwan were regarded as some of the best poker players of all time. Today, players like Fedor Holz, Stephen Chidwick, and Jason Koon stand out as some of the best poker players in the modern, GTO-heavy game.

While each era has its standout stars, many people ask a surprisingly hard question: who is the best poker player of all time?

This is such a hard question to answer because of the varying metrics by which we evaluate poker players. If you were comparing two NFL Quarterbacks, you could look at overall wins and losses, completion percentage, interceptions, touchdowns, yards, etc. While these are not foolproof, as football is very much a team sport, over long enough careers you can at least compare two quarterbacks and make an argument about which is the more successful.

Comparing poker players is not nearly as simple. How do we compare a cash game player to an MTT player? What about a player who favors big bet games vs. another who favors limit games? Or a player who ground out $10 million in earnings playing $10k and smaller tournaments vs. another who won two super high rollers for the same amount?

You can see the problem that exists when comparing poker players. Despite the difficulties, some metrics can be used to compare players and identify the best poker players of all time.

Five Different Ways to Identify the Best Poker Players of All Time

1. Career Earnings

One of the favorite methods for identifying the best poker players is by examining Hendon Mob profiles. The Hendon Mob tracks players’ live tournament earnings. All WSOP, WPT, and other major tournaments are tracked here, as well as many other live casino tournaments that report to Hendon Mob. The Hendon Mob can help determine a player’s success at live tournaments. There are other databases that report online players’ earnings as well.

How can we use career earnings to identify the best poker players?

This metric shouldn’t just be used to see how much money a player has earned. For example, someone could have been a winning tournament player for a decade in their 20s but hasn’t had any significant winnings in their 30s or 40s, despite still being in the tournament scene. Or, someone could have played only five years of high rollers, crushed them all for $10million+, then retired to do something else. Someone could play 10,000 online tournaments each year and have the same results as someone who plays 200 live tournaments. It’s not always easy to judge who has the best record using tournament earnings. But if you find players consistently winning over many years and in many games, it is safe to say they are great poker players.

2. Cash Game Prowess

Cash game poker players are much harder to rank than tournament players due to the anonymity involved. Cash games are not usually televised, although we have seen an increase in streamed and televised cash games over the last five years. In general, the biggest poker games being played are not streamed, they are in rooms such as Bobby’s Room in Vegas and similar rooms in L.A. Since a lot of the results from these nosebleed games are not public information, it may be hard to use cash game prowess as a metric, but it is not impossible.

How can we use cash games to identify the best poker players?

We can look at the types of games candidates are playing. If the player hasn’t played higher than $10/$20 or $10/$25 no limit, they probably aren’t the best. While many players at these stakes are tough opponents, there are bigger games available. Players who have remained in the nosebleed games for a long time are going to be great. Here we are specifying the players who are straight-up poker pros, not the recreational businessmen and women who play nosebleeds, but the guys like Eli Elezra who have been crushing games in Legend’s Room (Bobby’s Room) for decades. If a player has been playing in the biggest cash games for a long time, they are likely a very strong player.

WATCH: Interview with Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra

3. Career Length

Career length is a fairly straightforward metric. How long has the player been winning at poker? This is important because plenty of one-time crushers will fizzle out as the game surpasses their skill set. Finding players who have been winning in the biggest cash games or shipping tournaments for a long time is key to identifying the best poker players. As with any metric, career length has its limitations.

Fedor Holz is regarded by many as one of the best No Limit Hold’em tournament players. Fedor had an amazing run in the high roller scene during the mid-2010s. He won seemingly every big tournament that decade and quickly amassed millions in earnings, including over $16million in 2016 alone. Fedor was absolutely crushing the high roller scene for a few years and then “retired” from being a poker pro. Today, he still plays tournaments, but fewer than he was seven years ago.

While Fedor may not have the longest professional poker career, it was by choice, not because he couldn’t win anymore. For the most part, players need a long-term winning career to be in the “best poker player” conversation. But we shouldn’t automatically exclude someone if they choose to have a short career.

READ MORE: An in-depth interview with Fedor Holz

4. Accolades and Trophies

There are many accolades and trophies awarded in poker. There are WSOP bracelets and Circuit rings, the PokerGO Cup, the Global Poker Index Award, WPT Championship, and many others. While most of these are awarded for specific tournament results, others are not. These accolades can be used to identify some of the best poker players.

Which accolades and trophies should we consider?

There are a few standout accolades that can help identify the best poker players. However, note that many of these skew toward modern players, as they have only existed for a limited time.

GPI Player’s Choice for Toughest Opponent

This GPI award is decided by other poker professionals. It is poker’s version of the NFL Top 100, as it is chosen by the players this person has competed against. Unlike the NFL, however, this award goes to just one individual each year. This is a very high accolade, as the professional poker community picks their toughest opponent – something every poker player wants to be.

WSOP $50k Poker Players Championship

Every poker professional has circled this prestigious tournament on their calendar. The $50k Poker Players Championship is regarded among the professional community as one of the highest tournament achievements possible. It features nine games, H.O.R.S.E, 2-7 Triple Draw, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and No Limit 2-7 Single Draw. It is regarded as the best test of overall poker ability, containing a variety of mixed limit games and big bet no/pot-limit games. Winning this tournament is certainly a plus for a player to be considered as the best of all time.

PokerGO Cup

The PokerGO Tour, a more recent series, features many high roller tournaments in which players can earn points (and money). The tour is a set of standard tournaments, but at the end of the series, the player with the most points earns the PokerGO Cup. To win this trophy, players need to consistently win in some of the toughest fields in poker. Many of the high rollers are playing this series, so to have continued success, a player needs to be an absolute crusher.

While these awards are skewed towards current and recent players, coupling these accolades with other metrics previously mentioned can help identify the greatest poker players of all time.

5. Stories from Professionals

As the previous metric favored today’s players, this metric is for those who can’t win a GPI award or may not have been around to crush poker before result reporting became so popular

For more legendary players, we need to rely on stories from other professionals. I’m sure every poker player has heard tales of the great Stu Ungar, who reportedly won the 1980 WSOP Main Event having never played a No-Limit Holdem tournament. Doyle Brunson famously remarked that it was the first time he saw a player actively get better at the game during a tournament. Many other stories about players like Ungar, Brunson, and Slim showcase their ability to crush poker games over many years.

While stories from the past may not seem to hold up to the other metrics listed, I think they do. Results and accolades can only tell so much of the picture. Relying on poker professionals to tell us who are the toughest and best opponents is a great way to identify the best poker players of all time.

When you are comparing individuals to find the best poker players of all time, it is important to consider multiple metrics. The best poker players will be winning both tournaments and cash games over a long period, and usually across many different game types. They will be regarded as the best by other top professionals and have accolades to back that up. Simply looking at the all-time money list is not enough identify the best player of all time. As in other professional sports, it is hard to compare someone from today’s game to the 1980s, as poker theory has evolved so much. Many people find it easier to list a top five players than an overall best player ever.

Everyone’s top five will be slightly different depending on what they value in a poker player. GTO players will have a top five consisting of players playing close to perfect GTO, while exploitative players may favor more old-school players. Tournament players and cash game players may have very different opinions on guys like Phil Helmuth and Daniel Negreanu. If you love PLO, like me, you may have Phil Galfond in your top five, while NLH players wouldn’t even consider him. Mixed game players may place Eli Elezra in their top five. There so many skills and specializations in poker that it is hard to select a consistent top five players of all time.

Regardless of your priorities for an all-time great poker player, using as many metrics as possible is paramount. While we will likely never see an undisputed best poker player ever, we can at least formulate a list of top five to ten players based on the metrics identified above.

Could any other British player(s) catch Chidwick at the top of the national list in his lifetime? If so, who? To consider the possibilities, we’ve looked at Chidwick’s closest seven English rivals. Dave Ulliott, who sits in 9th place on the English all-time rankings, sadly passed away in 2015. The ‘Devil Fish’, as he was known, was admitted to the Poker Hall of Fame posthumously two years later in 2017, but is obviously not going to be able to win any more than his current tally of $6.2 million at the live felt.

To appreciate Britain in all its glory we can’t let a look at those who could catch Chidwick pass without appreciating two players from Scotland and Wales who also stand a chance if they were to take some serious steps in that direction.

Here’s a look at our British Top 10 in terms of Chidwick’s current earnings and those who trail in his wake, with all data current and according to the HendonMob.com.

Could Trickett, Heath or Carrel Beat the Big Games?

It’s fair to say that Chidwick has a healthy lead at the top of the British money list, with his total of $37.7 million way ahead of his nearest challenger, Sam Trickett. Trickett, who has won over $21.7 million in his career, currently sits $16 million behind the man he congratulated on overtaking him three years ago.

Congratulations to Stephen Chidwick on knocking me off my perch. You have been playing great Poker for many years now. Thoroughly deserved ! Good luck for the rest of 2019…. pic.twitter.com/uUuHoBxFOw

— Sam Trickett (@Samtrickett1) January 18, 2019

Trickett no doubt has the talent to compete, as he showed so impressively in his original Big One for One Drop runner-up result way back a decade ago. That win alone was worth $10 million. That still accounts for only 46% of Trickett’s live tournament winnings, which is perhaps the most impressive statistic of all.

If he were to return to the high stakes arena, it wouldn’t take Trickett long to get back into the rhythm of his previous achievements. True, he mostly focused on cash games, but Trickett might now be the best player never to have won a WSOP bracelet. Chidwick previously held that mantle until his maiden win in 2019.

Both Ben Heath and Charlie Carrel are prodigious talents in poker who have more than enough time on their side to become the most successful tournament poker player of all-time from Britain. Whether either man has the desire to do so, however, remains the biggest question.

Of the two, it would seem that Heath has shown more recent form playing high rollers than Carrel, who has played more online. Carrel has also done some pandemic-related soul-searching and plenty of AMAs, connecting with a vibrant and often disparate fanbase.

Heath, however, came second in the $250,000-entry WSOP Super High Roller event as recently as November 2021. Only Adrian Mateos (who won the $3.2m top prize) prevented him from winning his second WSOP bracelet. His first was worth $1.4 million in 2019. Heath seems the most likely to climb into second place and threaten Chidwick, albeit from a distance.

Salter, Lewis and Shakerchi Up their Volume

Of the next three challengers to Chidwick’s crown, Jack Salter, Toby Lewis, and Talal Shakerchi, who is the best possible challenger to spring from the pack into the lead? All three men would have to either put in some serious volume – especially in high rollers – or up their stakes.

Of the trio, it’s probably Shakerchi who could afford to climb the ladder, purely as a result of a larger bankroll. The hedge fund manager, accustomed to super high rollers more than he is large field MTTs (as opposed to Salter and Lewis), would need to go on a real winning streak, but he is more than capable of doing so. Any player who has ever underestimated him as a businessman and who is not supremely talented at poker has paid to have that error corrected.

Toby Lewis and Jack Salter have already achieved an incredible amount in the game just to have cashed for as much as they have in tournaments. For this reason, they would be less likely to fancy a run at Chidwick. But each of them are more than capable of winning the WSOP Main Event, for example. They just need to keep putting themselves in the position to challenge for major honors.

Farrell, Moorman or Romanello Perform Heroics

Of our final treble chancers at Chidwick’s crown, there is an Englishman, a Scotsman and a Welshman. But who would be most likely to walk into the podium places on the all-time British money list, putting Chidwick under pressure?

Niall Farrell is a particular kind of poker player that fans love to watch and opponents enjoy the company of, despite the fact that he is far more likely to win a hand than lose it. You simply never know what Farrell – who has won poker’s ‘Triple Crown’ of an EPT, WPT and WSOP bracelet – has. His unique ability to appear that he’s the life and soul of the live poker party, while simultaneously weighing everything around him is a wonder to watch.

The eye of the hurricane, Farrell’s ascent to Chidwickian levels, would require a massive win. But in these days with events such as the PSPC and others where players can qualify for seven-figure top prize tournaments for a fraction of the buy-in, why couldn’t he be the man to do so?

Chris Moorman’s remarkable consistency and recent addition to the America’s Cardroom stable point to the possibility that playing as a regular pro would give him the edge in this theoretical race. Moorman may play fewer big buy-in events than Chidwick, but it is possible Chidwick takes a break at this point in his career. Moorman would probably play in his sleep if he could.

READ MORE: Interview with Chris Moorman

Finally, but certainly no afterthought, Roberto Romanello is the most successful Welsh player in poker history, and that’s saying something. As a country, Wales has some terrific talent per head. Romanello can sit down with the absolute best and make them look like pub players. In an individual hand, there are few players in the world you’d want other than Romanello.

It might take a big win out of nowhere to get the family man to more time at the felt, but if anyone has the chance to win when everything is on the line, it’s the Bet Clever supremo and Triple Crown winner.

Image Credit: Motorsport Magazine

It’s a common enough question to wonder how competent each of the world’s best F1 drivers might be at poker, and some of them even refer to the game. For instance, former Ferrari driver Kimi Raikonnen has played:

Via Wolfgang Poker: I played poker with F1 legend @kimimatiasraikkonen in my recent vlog! just out here living my best life LFGGG!!! #Kimi7 #KR7 #USGP pic.twitter.com/djZnFgTNVO

— Raikkonen Indonesia (@KimsterIndo) December 15, 2021

 Sebastian Vettel rates his pokerface

Poker face #F1 #Vettel pic.twitter.com/ZhdR6vEEPd

— Sebastian Vettel #5 (@sebvettelnews) April 19, 2021

and the legend that is Michael Buffer even describes two areas of his own particular brand of expertise as including both F1 and the card game we all love more than any other.

I’ve already done 100s of announcements on 6 continents for..
NHL Stanley Cup
NBA Finals
NFL Champ’nships
MLB WorldSeries
NCAA
INDY 500
Formula 1
NASCAR
Tennis Titles
Poker Tournaments
Olympic Games https://t.co/dijAKKxhOR

— Michael Buffer (@Michael_Buffer) May 5, 2021

Have you ever wondered how good some of the biggest names in poker might be on the track? We couldn’t help ourselves. From World Series of Poker legends to online and live poker crushers, we’ve picked 10 Formula 1 drivers from the world of poker and predicted how they would perform on the track.

1. Bryn Kenney (U.S.A.)

Known for his ability to play at the very highest level of poker for plenty of his own money, Bryn Kenney isn’t afraid to put his foot down at the poker felt. How would he fare on the Formula 1 track? The Long Islander would be determined to qualify in pole position, putting himself in the best place for a dominant run to the checkered flag.

Holding on to the lead, as Kenney has shown in his epic pursuit of the all-time money list number one spot against rival Justin Bonomo, might be tricky, but he wouldn’t give an inch and every turn would be taken at breakneck speed.

Verdict: A certain podium finish, but just misses top spot after a late swerve and skid costs him the win. 3rd.

Image credit: Cardschat.com

2. Daniel Negreanu (Canada)

Kid Poker is perhaps the most recognizable face at the poker felt, but how would he fare under the helmet of an F1 driver? Negreanu would be all about the numbers, crunching his statistics in order to give himself the best chance of victory.

Playing under the restrictions of his own training, Negreanu would be a tough competitor, but relying on the numbers takes away the natural flow to his drive. At the crucial moment, Kid Poker would be too busy thinking about what he should do, instead of driving on instinct.

Verdict: A late look at his hairpin stats costs Negreanu the lead early, as he misses a car on the track and spins off into the tyre wall. Did Not Finish.

Image Credit: PokerNews

3. Justin Bonomo (U.S.A.)

The all-time money list leader may be impervious to criticism at the felt, but confined to the cramped space of an F1 car traveling at hundreds of miles per hour into every turn, things would be tougher for the top earning tournament poker player in the world.

Bonomo would be focused on the win at all times as he pursues Kenney around the track, but while he’d get close to Kenney and overtake him after the former’s risky hairpin near the finish line, Bonomo wouldn’t see another driver in a modified helmet race past him and take victory.

Verdict: Runner-up position for Bonomo, who refuses to spray champagne around the paddock, donating the bottle to charity.

Image credit: PokerGO News

4. Stephen Chidwick (United Kingdom)

The only British driver on the racetrack, could Chidwick’s temperament be the difference as he negotiates the curves of the raceway as he does the vicissitudes of tournament poker? There’s no doubting the calmness and posture of the man, but what about the car?

Formula 1 drivers have to hunch over for up to 70 laps of brain-crushing motion, so the idea of Chidwick in his comfort zone would be as far removed from the process of poker as it can possibly be.

Verdict: A battling 5th place, but it’s the stretch after leaving the car that Chidwick is chasing.

5. Phil Hellmuth Jr (U.S.A.)

The Poker Brat is a demon at the felt, but how would one of the best players of all-time be able to negotiate the bends of a Formula 1 circuit at 200 mph? Hellmuth is capable of hero calls and folds at the felt, but what about checking the rear-view?

For a player who constantly looks forward, Hellmuth would be brilliant at overtaking, but, vulnerable to what’s coming up from behind him as the youth of today accelerate towards him, getting out of the path of a young European (“idiot from Northern Europe”?) who cuts him up costs Hellmuth his race. Spinning out of control, he is asked to come into the pits, where he joins frenemy Negreanu in bemoaning his awful luck around the track.

Verdict: Spun off on the tracks, curse words trailing in his slipstream as he power-walks to the pits, Hellmuth cheers up over Sour Patch Kids and a vegan coffee with Negreanu.

Image credit: PokerStars Blog

6. Phil Ivey (U.S.A.)

A complete enigma at the poker table, how would Ivey fare under the spotlights and cheering masses on race day? With difficulty, we’d presume. But could he edge his way through the pack to finish first after all?

Ivey would no doubt be getting practice on the sly and show some great moves early on in the race. However, after missing qualifying entirely due to a particularly juicy cash game in Macau, Ivey is never able to catch up, lagging in second to last despite an early overtake and some solid lap times.

Verdict: 7th place. Ivey is on a private jet before the trophy is awarded to the eventual winner.

Image credit: Cardplayer.com

7. Michael Addamo (Australia)

Uncompromising, taking the best lines and utterly fearless, Michael Addamo might just be the most comparable poker player to a Formula 1 driver that the mind sport has ever enjoyed. The Aussie would have plenty to chat about with fellow Antipodean Daniel Ricciardo, but could he prove as successful as winning titles?

Addamo’s ability to adapt is without question, but after some early moves put him in the lead, he is surprised by both Bonomo and Kenney, who prove to have plenty of staying power. Addamo, in great form over recent practices, learns the value of experience as he slides from an early lead to further back by the home straight.

Verdict: 4th place, but lessons learned for GTO steps in the future.

Image credit: PokerNews

8. Erik Seidel (U.S.A.)

The New Yorker, fresh from his 83rd poker tournament of the year, would be Mr. Consistent at the racetrack. Dressed immaculately in a classic all-in-one, Seidel would be on point and up-to-date with all the latest moves. But can he turn that into victory?

Qualifying in third place, Seidel falls victim to the first corner as the polite poker player refuses to bump wheels for fear of causing injury. On the team radio, the nine-time WSOP bracelet winner is heard telling his colleagues in the pits: “I’d rather win clean or not at all, guys.” That transpires as the early corners cost him the chance of victory.

Verdict: 6th, but a clean conscience and with no one getting hurt on their way back to the paddock.

Image credit: PocketFives

9. Fedor Holz (Germany)

Flying into action, the German youngster would be innovation personified as he dons the helmet emblazoned with the words ‘Primed Mind’ on the front and Pokercode on his arms. Setting off at a fair pace, Holz flies around the first corner past a static Seidel, then pushes past everyone bar Bonomo and Kenney.

On the final corner, Holz overtakes them both, but as he evens up to take the flag, his car is bumped wheel-to-wheel by a rival he never saw coming. Perhaps it’s because he didn’t notice any sun reflecting off a helmet at all…

Verdict: It’s last place and 8th for the German, after he has to get out and push the car over the line following that late smash.

Image credit: PokerGO News

10. Doyle Brunson (U.S.A.)

Driving without a helmet and taking the win right at the death is none other than Doyle Brunson! Sure, the ‘Wild West’ legend of poker lore wasn’t expected to pull up any trees by many, but with a history of achievement in basketball this man could have been a sporting superstar instead of a poker legend.

With any old injuries banished to the past for one glorious final race, ‘Texas Dolly’ cuts a path through the entire field, and when he sees Holz making a beeline for the finish, tracks his every move. On the final corner, Brunson takes the opposite line and evens up his car ahead of Holz, who bumps into the back wheels of Brunson’s car and spins out. Holding his cowboy hat aloft, Texas Dolly crosses the line to the cheers of poker and Formula 1’s finest.

Verdict: Doyle Brunson is the finest Formula 1 driver poker has never seen…well, not yet anyway!

Think it won’t happen? Who would rule anything out in these days of pay-per-view sports and crossover appeal between like-minded gamblers? We’re just hoping the side bets won’t be too crazy.

In any event, once we get to December, 12 months from now, which poker player will we say had the best year? This list, in no particular order, takes a look at who we might expect to crush it in the poker world in 2020.

Stephen Chidwick

It’s “always” Stephen Chidwick’s year, and 2020 will almost certainly be no different.

Considered by many of his high-stakes peers as the best tournament poker player in the world, Chidwick added to his resume with another outstanding year in 2019. The English crusher posted six wins over the course of the year, finishing third on the 2019 money list (according to Hendon Mob) with $13,146,265 in earnings.

Photo Courtesy Poker Central

Chidwick finished fifth in the Global Poker Index 2019 Player of the Year race, took down a pair of wins at the 2019 U.S. Poker Open, and added his first career WSOP bracelet to the resume in Las Vegas over the summer.

It’s probably a pretty safe bet that Chidwick will end 2020 with another unbelievable record of tournament results.

Alex Foxen

The man who  topped the 2019 GPI Player of the Year rankings, for the second straight year, was Alex Foxen.

Foxen and Chidwick spent 2019 going back and forth trading places as No. 1 and No. 2 on the overall GPI rankings. Foxen ended the year in the No. 1 spot, regaining that ranking after a string of final table appearances at the World Poker Tour Five Diamond Classic at the Bellagio in December.

Foxen put the finishing touches on another exceptional year with a win in the $10,000 main event of the Five Diamond, adding $1,694,995 to a career earnings total that now sits at over $15 million, and he’s already started off 2020 strong with a third place finish in the $10K partypoker MILLIONS UK event in Nottingham.

Andrew Neeme

You’ll have to tune in to Andrew Neeme’s poker vlog to get some insight on how he’s actually faring at the poker table; there are always ups and downs for cash game grinders. Neeme’s YouTube exploits, however, are flourishing, with Neeme ending 2019 at over 130,000 subscribers, and counting.

READ MORE: Interview with Andrew Neeme

Neeme, as well as Brad Owen, make this list for their places in the 2020 poker world in general. These guys have really built an important brand in the Meet Up Games, with huge numbers of poker players showing up wherever the MUGs are scheduled.

The success of the MUGs are an indication that live poker in the U.S. is alive and well, and Neeme and Owen are two of the most important figures in poker because of it.

pic.twitter.com/FW5IJTHMwN

— Poker MUGs (@Poker_MUGs) January 3, 2020

Brad Owen

For the same reasons listed above for Andrew Neeme, Brad Owen will continue to be a vital figure in the poker industry in 2020.

I don’t say this often enough: Support @TheBradOwen‘s poker vlog work!

That is all.

(His vids speak for themselves, and they’re great! )https://t.co/wt8KkLJAl3

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) January 11, 2020

Owen’s YouTube channel is over the 165,000 subscribers mark as of this writing, and that following has translated to big success with the Meet Up Games series. The MUGs ventured into new territories in 2019, including Deadwood, South Dakota, and every event in the series packs the poker rooms, the waiting lists, and whatever properties are on the schedule.

The MUGs will hit London at Aspers, Casino, later this month, and there’s no reason to think 2020 won’t be an even bigger year for Owen, Neeme and their Meet Up Games brand.

Fried Meulders

Members of the Upswing Poker lab know exactly who Fried Meulders is, as the Belgian cash-game crusher is one of key members of the Upswing coaching staff.

The man known as mynameiskarl on PokerStars is also well-known and respected among the 500NL Zoom pool, where he has resided as one of the best online poker players in the world for years. Meulders might be a bit under the radar for the rest of the world, however.

Meulders is the creator of what’s currently one of the best poker strategy YouTube channels in the world. If you’re into high-level (and highly entertaining) poker strategy content, Meulders’ channel is must-see.

He’s already one of the very best 500NL Zoom players on the planet, as well as a world-class poker coach. Perhaps 2020 is the year that Meulders’ YouTube channel blows up as well.

Danny Tang

It takes a while just to scroll through all of Danny Tang’s 2019 cashes when you look him up on Hendon Mob.

Tang took down the GPI Asia Player of the Year award thanks to 37 total cashes and earnings of more than $6 million for the year. Tang enters 2020 as the No. 14-ranked player in the overall GPI, and his 2019 included five wins, two seven-figure finishes and a $944,789 payday for a second-place finish in the €100,000 Super High Roller event at EPT Barcelona.

A force to be reckoned with in both traditional and short deck hold’em, Tang has established himself as one of the world’s finest, and that trend should continue in the next year.

Veronica Brill

If anyone deserves to have a great year in 2020, it’s Veronica Brill.

Brill’s actions led to the exposure of a cheating scandal that was unfortunately one of poker’s biggest stories in 2019. Brill was a first-hand witness to an ongoing pattern of strange play, and unfathomable win rates, from the individual at the center of that scandal.

This was the last show I did commentary on for Stones Live Poker. A lot of what @Mike_Postle was doing didn’t make sense. It was after this show i decided that i wanted to take it to the MF streets.
This clip shows how confused I was by his play
https://t.co/fTJ9gyZlod

— Veronica 2.0 (@Angry_Polak) October 4, 2019

That story is still unfolding as 2020 begins, but perhaps it never comes to light in the first place without Brill’s gutsy decision to say something publicly about what she was seeing. If karma is a real thing, 2020 will be big year for Brill.

Ali Imsirovic

Imsirovic was the GPI  Breakout Player of the Year for 2018 and he followed up with another fantastic year in 2019. Imsirovic finished No. 10 in both the GPI Player of the Year race, as well the overall GPI rankings at the end of 2019.

3rd for £112,000! Was a fun run
Now time to eat some ramen & go run hot in the next 25k

— Ali (@aliImsirovic)

He bookended 2019 with major wins, beginning the year by taking down the U.S. Poker Open’s $25,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $442,500 in January, and finishing with a victory in the $50,000 Bellagio High Roller at the WPT Five Diamond Classic in December, a $600,000 payday.

Imsirovic has established himself as a world-class player at the highest of stakes, and there’s no limit (pun intended) to what the young superstar can accomplish in 2020.

Kristen Bicknell

For the third consecutive time, Kristen Bicknell earned GPI Female Player of the Year honors in 2019.

The partypoker pro finished the year as the No. 16 ranked player in the overall GPI rankings, and Bicknell’s 2019 included three wins and more than $2.4 million in earnings. One of those wins came at the Poker Masters, which saw Bicknell take down the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em event for a $408,000 payday.

Photo Courtesy partypoker

Bicknell has also already started off 2020 on the right foot, with a 13th place finish in the $10K partypoker MILLIONS UK event in Nottingham, and there’s no reason to think she’ll slow down over the next 12 months.

Bryn Kenney

The year 2020 will almost certainly be a good one for Bryn Kenney, even if he decides not to play in a single poker tournament.

Kenney has risen to the top of the all-time tournament earnings list, where he sits with more than $56 million in career winnings as 2020 begins. He made the giant leap to the top with $30,321,414 in earnings in just 2019 alone, the highest one-year total of all time, with much of that total due to a second-place finish at the Triton Million for Charity event, netting him $20,563,324.

Last year marked the second time Kenney topped the annual earnings list, as he accomplished the feat in 2017 as well. Kenney’s record-setting 2019 also included three other seven-figure finishes, and it’s probably safe to say the outlook on 2020 is looking quite rosy, indeed.

The ascension of @BrynKenney on the All-Time Money List per @TheHendonMob:
May 2007: 7,523rd
June 2008: 4,783rd
July 2010: 1,033rd
Jan 2011: 450th
Jan 2012: 333rd
June 2014: 189th
May 2015: 90th
Feb 2016: 49th
Jan 2017: 20th
Jan 2018: 10th
May 2019: 4th
Aug 3rd 2019: 1st

— Remko Rinkema (@RemkoRinkema) August 3, 2019

Stephen Chidwick

Was there any doubt that Stephen Chidwick would be on this list? Chidwick recently became the first UK player to top the GPI 300 and is certainly worthy of headlining any “players to watch” list heading into WSOP season.

#BREAKING Stephen Chidwick becomes 18th player, and first-ever player from the UK, to reach #1 on the #GPI World Poker #Rankings. Congratulations, Stephen! … Full Rankings report later pic.twitter.com/QNdb6OpTD3

— Global Poker Index (@gpi) April 18, 2018

Chidwick has won $5.4 million so far this year, which is already a career best. His performance at the US Poker Open in February was legendary and he followed that up with a third-place run in the Super High Roller Bowl China in March.

Earlier this month, Chidwick finished runner-up in the €100k Super High Roller event at the partypoker MILLIONS Grand Final Barcelona and then a couple of days later finished third in the Main Event.

Chidwick nearly won his first bracelet in 2015 in the $10k Stud 8 or Better Championship, but Max Pescatori denied him the victory. This year, Chidwick has all the momentum going for him, and is as close to being a “safe bet” as possible to win a bracelet in Vegas this summer.

Chris Moorman

Online poker’s most prolific tournament player and all-time money leader, Chris Moorman has also enjoyed tremendous success in the live arena. Last year, he broke through for his first career WSOP bracelet after defeating a field of 959 to take down the $3,000 Six-Max title.

What a fantastic photo series showing the exact moment @Moorman1 won his first bracelet. https://t.co/xz1TMteUOq @jtPHOTOjunkie @PokerNews pic.twitter.com/MZXYTX6WIy

— Pamela Maldonado (@pamelam35) June 17, 2017

The 888poker ambassador will not only be a force to watch at the Rio but also online. Last year, he cashed in both the WSOP.com High Roller and their Online Championship. We would not be shocked to see him take down a bracelet at either the live or online poker felt this summer.

Will Kassouf

Will Kassouf is one of the more colorful characters in recent poker history and certainly a player that the media will track closely during the series. Following his 17th place run in the 2016 WSOP Main Event, Kassouf has stayed active with mild success.

His best finish since his deep Main Event was his victory in the 2016 EPT Prague High Roller, where he officially walked away with $552k and his only career victory to date. Since that time, his best finish was in the 2017 WSOP Europe Main Event where he finished 64th for just over $19k.

We aren’t saying that Kassouf is a lock to win a bracelet, but should he run deep you can rest assured that his antics will attract eyeballs and increase viewership.

Max Silver

Max Silver has been on fire over the last two years at the World Series of Poker. In 2016, he cashed 10 times and finished 33rd in the Main Event. Last year he only cashed five times, but boy did he make the most of those runs.

I won!!!! Bracelet and $172k in the $3000 6 max LIMIT Holdem. @SnapShove limit holdem module coming Q4 2017. pic.twitter.com/8UjREydMLI

— Max Silver (@max_silver) June 30, 2017

He finished sixth in the $3k Six-Max (won by Moorman) and then later won the $3k Limit Hold’em Six-Max event for his first career WSOP bracelet. Afterwards, he ran deep in the Main Event for the second year in a row, finishing in 45th place.

The question now is whether Silver can have a deep run three-peat and perhaps make it all the way to the final table of the Main Event. If so, expect the betting lines at sportsbooks and online casinos UK to move significantly as he tries to make his home country proud.

Liv Boeree

Last year, Liv Boeree finally snagged her first WSOP bracelet after capturing the $10k Tag Team title with boyfriend Igor Kurganov. She also cashed in the WSOP Main Event for the second straight year, finishing in 314th place.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/r5ixdOaCjl

— Liv Boeree (@Liv_Boeree) June 3, 2017

Boeree started the year off strongly with a pair of deep runs at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, including a 17th place finish in the Main Event. Now the world will be watching to see whether the PokerStars ambassador can become a multi-time bracelet winner and maybe even the first woman since Barbara Enright back in the 1990s to make a WSOP Main Event final table.