Best Female Online Poker Player

Things are changing fast for online poker.

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There are four states that have regulated games — Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania – plus legal, sweepstakespoker games in other areas. While the boom of 10 years ago is over, online poker for real money in the US is on the rise again.

This is a detailed guide to legal poker sites in the United States. We’ll provide you with information on the current legislative landscape, the best sites to play online poker and the different types of poker bonuses.

Best Online Poker Sites in 2020

Free poker vs. real money poker

As soon as real money is at stake, the game of poker transforms.

Play money poker involves seeing a flop, hitting hands and never folding when there is even a shot at winning the pot. With no incentive to fold or think strategically, it provides light entertainment at best.

Once real cash is involved, poker changes into a mental battle. Playing every hand and trying to hit, will quickly become a losing strategy.

Conversely, playing too few hands becomes predictable and easy to exploit. You’ll need to play a position, work out what your opponents’ bets mean and understand math concepts like odds and equity.

You can play online poker games for real money or for free. I can assure you that once you try for real money, free games will quickly lose its appeal. The beauty of real money poker is that you’ll never stop learning.

Even the biggest stars of the game are working on their strategy; poker takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.

Is online poker legal in the US?

Poker has a long tradition in the US, from boom to bust. There is a new era in real money USA poker games as individual states license and regulate the games.

So far, there are four legal states for real money online poker: Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania (where sites have entered a testing phase on November 4, according to the PGCB) and New Jersey. These states require that a brick-and-mortar casino licenses the poker sites.

Three states share players – Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey — at 888 and WSOP online poker rooms. Players from all three states will meet at the tables, which allows for bigger tournaments (many with large, guaranteed prizepools) and a more extensive selection of cash games.

Pennsylvania online poker sites

Online gambling is already up and running in Pennsylvania in the form of PA sportsbooks, casinos and lottery games, but PA online poker is the latest to join the party. On Nov. 4, PokerStars began a soft launch phase that completed two days later. It is now fully operational, and more operators are expected to follow shortly, including WSOP and partypoker.

It has been more than two years since the omnibus gambling expansion was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf in October 2017. This legislation made online poker in PA legal, along with online sportsbooks and casino games. Therefore, licenses for sites will be available to PA brick-and-mortar casinos.

In Pennsylvania, you’ll be able to play cash games and tournaments against other players through player pools; however, not with players from other regulated states.

Poker is already successful in states with smaller populations than Pennsylvania. The bigger pool of players will likely mean more choice, bigger tournament guarantees and more generous promotions compared to NewJersey and Nevada.

Seven casinos have Pennsylvania online poker licenses. Of these, several have announced partnerships with the major brands active in other states. Here are the known partnerships:

  • MountAiryCasino: PokerStars
  • SugarHouseCasino: Rush Street Interactive
  • HollywoodCasino: IGT
  • Harrah’sCasino: 888 (WSOP-branded)
  • ParxCasinoandRacetrack: GAN/custom platform
  • ValleyForge: partypoker
  • WindCreek: TBD

When will online poker launch in PA?

PokerStars launched online poker on Nov. 4, becoming the first operator in the state.

Some sites are already in beta-testing mode but will need to get approval from the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board (PGCB)before an official go-live. The board stated (in relation to casinos and sports betting) that it is in no hurry and want to ensure things are working 100% correctly before they give approvals.

That said, some of the popular PA poker sites may be available before the end of the year.

Here is what we know about each of the sites:

PokerStars PA (live): Its partnership is with Mount Airy Resort and Casino, where you can use the casino cage for deposits and withdrawals. PokerStars offers the best software of any online poker room, which includes apps and a downloadable desktop client. Innovations, including ZoomPoker, Spin and Go’s and progressiveknockout tournaments, will come with this new platform.

WSOP.com / 888 Poker: This brand uses the 888 Poker software along with the World Series of Poker branding. WSOP will partner with Harrah’s to bring a mix of tournaments and cash games to Pennsylvania. Unlike New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, the player pools will not be shared. WSOP.com PA will be a stand-alone poker site and for use within state lines only. In Nevada, WSOP host online WSOP bracelet events. These are not expected in PA, though there should be plenty of qualifier games ready for the next series.

Partypoker PA: The “original” poker site is also active in New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, it will partner with the ValleyForge. You’ll be able to deposit via the casino cage there (as well as using electronic methods). Party is famous for its easy games. New and recreational players receive priority to promotions and the novel formats. In other states, players are pooled between separate brands, which work on the Party software. So far, there will only be a single poker site in PA.

Other poker room partnerships in PA which have been announced include Parx Casino with GAN. This will be a new platform, though the popularity of the live poker room at Parx should ensure that it gets plenty of traffic.

Another new platform will be through the Rush Street Interactive platform, which is operational for casino and sports betting (via SugarHouse and Rivers Casino), though poker will be new. Finally, there is a proposed poker partnership between Hollywood Casino and IGT.

New Jersey online poker sites

While New Jersey was not the first state to launch online poker, it was the first state with a large enough population to ensure numerous players in the games.

Following successful launches in Nevada and Delaware, 888 was among the first wave of NJ poker rooms. By the end of 2013, the competition was heating up. PokerStars then joined the fray late, after making a deal with the Department of Justice.

While PokerStars is the most influential single NJ online poker site, there are more players at the WSOP and 888 sites combined. Those sites share players from sites in Nevada and Delaware.

Another shared network includes partypoker, Borgata Poker and BetMGM. These brands only share players in New Jersey.

After this list, the other poker sites are too small to host more than a table or two at any one time.

More detail on the biggest poker sites in NJ:

  • 888 Poker / WSOP.com: Experience in Nevada and Delaware meant that 888 was able to get up and running quickly in New Jersey. These poker rooms partner with Caesars Casino Atlantic City. Players share a common back end, which includes players logging on from WSOP.com in Nevada and three Delaware poker sites, too. You’ll get $20 free at either of these poker sites, plus a wide range of player promotions and specials.
  • PokerStars: This site started later than the others, in 2016. It grew fast and now has a 38% market share. PokerStars partnered with Resorts Casino, where you can deposit via the casino cage. Using amazing software and events like the New Jersey Series of Online Poker helped catapult this brand over its longer-running rivals. New players can get $20 in free play simply for registering.
  • Partypoker, Borgata Poker and BetMGM: Before the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, partypoker was the most prominent poker site in the US. It returned in 2013, in partnership with Borgata Casino. The software might have changed, though this is still a popular site for recreational and amateur players. Borgata Poker and BetMGM combine players with partypoker within New Jersey. You can get a generous combination of a $25 no-deposit bonus and a $1,000 matched deposit to your first deposit at partypoker NJ.

Pala Poker also welcomes NJ players. Unfortunately, this site never got much traction, and games rarely run there.

Traffic at the more prominent sites will peak at around 250 cash-game players, and several times more at poker tournaments. While this is enough for the NJ online poker rooms to be able to offer lower- to mid-stakes games, it is not sufficient traffic for high stakes or too many poker variations. If you enjoy Texas Hold ’em at $1/$2 and below, you’ll be able to find plenty of action.

Tournaments feature a lot of smaller guaranteed pools throughout the week. The SundayMajor events have prize pools of around $100,000. There are events, including WSOP qualifiers and the New Jersey championship, that offer higher guarantees. You’ll find some innovative formats for tournaments, which include the popular progressive knockout tournaments, where your bounty increases the more players you knock out.

The major poker rooms in NJ are available via apps for Android or Apple mobile devices. For the best experience (especially if you play multiple tables), you can also download a desktopclient for Windows or Mac computers.

Nevada online poker rooms

There was a lot of excitement in 2012 when the first poker rooms went live in Nevada.

Before then, only tiny Delaware had online poker, which was limited by the population size. Nevada saw the first WSOP-branded poker room, which uses the popular 888 Poker software.

Initially, there were two competing online poker rooms in Nevada. UltimatePoker did not last, failing to gain traction and closing in 2014. There is a new poker site in Nevada in the form of real money online poker that South Point Casino owns. It has yet to gain any traction, and so it is not a viable option if you are looking for action.

WSOP, 888 and Caesars Entertainment

WSOP.com is a partnership with Caesars Entertainment. It runs the World Series of Poker and has successfully moved bracelet events online. These games feature part of the WSOP events, which run from May to early July each year.

At 3 million, Nevada does not have a significant population. It does benefit from a lot of visitors. You only need to be within state lines to enjoy poker at WSOP.com NV, with no requirement to be a permanent resident.

In 2016, player pools were combined with the 888/WSOP-powered poker sites in Delaware and New Jersey. This merger created the single biggest US-wide site. If legal clarification on the WireAct moves forward, WSOP.com is in a great position to add other states quickly to its player pool.

While the traffic is not high, there is no shortage of features at the WSOP.com Nevada online poker room. You’ll be able to enjoy cash games, tournaments and sit and go’s along with innovations, including Blast! sit and go’s, which have random prize pools that are only revealed after the game begins.

As you might expect, there are a lot of qualifier tournaments for the World Series of Poker at this site. New players get a 100% bonus matched to their first deposit at this site.

State poker sites: What are the differences?

To the untrained eye, all the legal US online poker sites look similar.

They all offer cash games, tournaments and a few novelty games. They all have comparable welcome bonuses, often mixing free play with big deposit offers.

When you get into the details, there are some essential differences. Aside from the different software, apps and promotions, here are the things that set the sites apart from each other:

  • PartnerCasinos: Each regulated poker room needs a license holding partner from a brick-and-mortar casino. These vary, depending on the state. For example, PokerStars work with Resorts Casino in NJ, and Mount Airy Casino in PA.
  • PooledPlayers: These work in two ways. Some combine players at two or more sites within a state. For example, you’ll play at the same tables via partypoker, Borgata Poker or BetMGM in New Jersey. Some brands also pool players across state lines. WSOP.com combines players from New Jersey, Nevada and Deleware, along with those playing at 888 NJ. WSOP has created the single biggest player pool in the US.
  • Events and Specials: Tournament events are big news in the poker world. These allow for bigger buy-ins, bigger guaranteed prize pools and promotions like event-long leaderboards. Examples include the bracelet events at WSOP.com NV and the Championship of Online Poker event at PokerStars NJ. As the sites come into more states, expect these events to become even bigger.
  • Games: Smaller player pools mean it is only possible to run the most popular formats for now. As online poker grows, or further states can pool their players, we can expect today’s Texas Hold’em and Omaha to expand into stud, draw and even mixed games.
  • HowEasy: Poker is a game of relative skill levels. To win, you need to consistently play with people who are not as good as you. In Nevada, there is only one viable site, so making a selection of the individual tables are important. Where you do get a choice, you should be continually assessing which site(s) have the weakest player pools. Sites like PokerStars tend to attract more experienced players, while sites like partypoker (that restrict third-party software tools) tend to host more recreational players.

Outside of the regulated states, sweepstakes gambling laws allow for “real money” poker action.

Global Poker works by giving free virtual currency called “Sweeps Coins” to players that purchase play money coins.

With more states considering licensing poker, casino and sports betting online, the range of legal US poker sites will only grow in the future.

How do sweepstakes poker sites work?

Global Poker uses state gambling laws that cover sweepstakes contests. It brings real money poker action to states that have yet to regulate. While this is a workaround, it is perfectly legal and is becoming popular.

Since this poker room can’t take real money deposits for gambling, it gives you free Sweeps Coins alongside the purchase of play money coins. You can use Sweeps Coins to play poker. Each hand (or tournament) is considered to be an individual sweepstakes contest.

Once you have accumulated enough Sweeps Coins, you can swap it for dollars in the cashier and withdraw them to your bank account.

Taking advantage of poker bonuses

With the poker rooms competing to grow in the most prominent player pools, there are plenty of poker bonuses. These options range from free cash deals to matched bonuses and loyaltyschemes.

Keep in mind, you should always read the terms and conditions before accepting a poker bonus. You will find some significant variations in playthrough requirements and time available to complete the wagering.

You’ll see the most common types of poker bonuses to take advantage of in this list:

  • No deposit bonuses: Some poker sites offer you a small amount of free cash to try out their real money games. This bonus is only for new accounts and gives you up to $30 for play. You’ll need to wager this several times before you can withdraw it. If you are good enough, you might be able to build a bankroll without needing to deposit at all.
  • Matched welcome bonus: This is the industry standard bonus offer. Most sites give you a 100% matched bonus on your first deposit of up to $500. You’ll need to earn points from playing real money games and tournaments, which will incrementally clear your bonus.
  • Free tournament entries: New depositors often get entries into free tournaments with guaranteed prizepools. Some poker rooms run these freerolls regularly.
  • Loyalty bonus schemes: With loyalty schemes, you collect points while playing. These can move you up tiers or it can be a flat rate. You can cash in points for bonuses or tournament entries.
  • Reload bonuses: If you ever deplete your poker bankroll, reload bonuses can help. These work in the same way as the welcome bonus offer, though sometimes have lower percentage matches.
  • One-off promotions: What separates the good from the great poker rooms is the promos. Look for sites that look after their players with plenty of offers. These can include satellite qualifiers to the biggest live events.

Remember, you are not restricted to a single poker room. To get the best offers, it can pay to be selective, shifting your money around to take advantage of the best deals.

Which US poker sites offer real money poker apps?

Several of the state-regulated poker sites offer mobile poker apps alongside their desktop-software client. These apps allow for limited access, as it is hard to multi-table on a small screen.

If you do want to enjoy poker on the move, here are the best real money poker sites in New Jersey and Nevada:

  • 888 Poker, WSOP-branded sites in Nevada and New Jersey
  • Partypoker, Borgata Poker NJ

How to deposit at a real money US poker site?

To enjoy real money poker, you’ll need to get that initial bankroll on board.

When you choose legal, regulated poker rooms, a lot of options open up for you. By sticking to the best-known brands, you can be sure your funds are secure.

The easiest option is merely to use your regular debit or credit card. Making a poker deposit works precisely the same as making any purchase online. Inside the regulated states, nearly all banks will approve these transactions.

If you prefer it, you can buy prepaiddebit cards, or for some sites, you can apply for a branded debit card for their license-holding casino that guarantees fast deposits and withdrawals from then on.

Another set of deposit options using your bank account includes e-checks, bill pay or wiretransfers. The combination that is accepted will depend on which state-regulated online poker real money USA site you are playing.

With e-checks, a third party (usually a company called VIP Preferred) will verify you, allowing for instant transfers.

Bill pay works with a list of banks provided by each site. You follow the same process as for paying a utility bill. Wires are slower, though still have a place for large deposits.

Third-party-wallet services are perfect for poker fans that prefer to keep their banking separate from their gambling.

The best-known service is PayPal, though you will find Skrill and Neteller welcomed by poker rooms, too. While there is a small downside in terms of fees, the additional security these wallets provide makes them popular choices.

Player

If the electronic options are not for you, you’ll be able to deposit with cash. Again, this does depend on which poker site you choose. Options include taking cash to the casino cage or using PayNearMe, which is available at 7-Eleven stores.

Software options at real money poker sites

Most poker rooms provide a few ways to access their games:

A full download: This is the ideal method if you are playing from a desktop computer or laptop. Once you download the software package, you get full functionality and smooth gaming (there is no need to initialize the games from scratch each time). Downloads are generally available for Windows and Apple computers.

Top professional female poker players

Poker apps: The biggest brands, like 888 and PokerStars, have online poker apps. These offer a limited number of games you can enjoy on the go. It is hard to multi-table using an app, so expect a single-game format. Android poker apps are not available via the Google Play store; you’ll need to get those direct from the poker site.

Instant play: This is the least popular way of accessing the software. Sites allow form-limited gaming action in your web browser. These games will respond to your screen size, though they are not suitable for the smallest (smartphone) screens.

While the branding of each site is unique, there are some commonalities when it comes to getting around.

Sites split the major poker variations with cash games, tournaments and Sit ‘n Gos (SNG) at the top level of their navigation.

Once you access each area, you’ll find tabs or checkboxes that will help you narrow your search. This can be by buy-in level, table size or speed. Tournaments have further navigation to separate qualifiers and major events.

What separates the good from the great is the small software features. Smooth gaming, resizable tables and easy options to top up your stack make for a far better experience. PokerStars is considered by poker players to have the best software client. I also like the interface at the 888 Poker/WSOP brands.

Poker variations available

Best Poker Players Of All Time

Traditionally, there are four types of poker you can play online with cash. Note that these are broad categories, each of which contains multiple poker game variants, speeds and small table size/rules/betting format changes.

No Limit Texas Hold ’em dominates the real cash poker scene. At least 80% of the action is in this format. Omaha follows, with the popularity of Pot Limit Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha 8 and Omaha 8 variants growing. Other forms, including stud and draw poker, are tiny by comparison.

The 4 main poker variations you can play online:

  1. Cash games: This is the traditional poker format, where the chips you play with have a direct monetary value. You’ll find full-ring and six-max games to be the most popular, though you can find other table sizes. You can find most of the cash game action at the micro stakes ($25 buy-in and under).
  2. Poker tournaments: This format has the most rule, structure variations. The basis is that you buy in for a pile of chips and play until one player has them all. The bet sizes increase to ensure action. Usually, 10% of the field are paid, with the biggest prize going to the winner.
  3. SNGs: While poker tournaments have big fields and scheduled start times, SNGs have a fixed size and start when all the seats are full. The basic format is one (nine-seat) table. Three players get paid in this format. Lottery SNGs, which are three-handed games with randomly selected prizepools up to 10,000x your buy-in, are now popular, too.
  4. Fast Fold Poker: This variation crosses cash game and tournament formats. Instead of sitting at a table, players are in pools. Each hand sees six to nine players combined from each pool (which is by buy-in). When you fold, you go straight to a hand with new players from your pool. This format requires a lot of players and is not widely available at the regulated US sites just yet.

A big appeal of the online poker real money USA sites is the range of buy-ins available. You can enjoy cash games where the blinds are pennies (as little as 1c / 2c or 2c / 5c). That means you can buy-in for a full stack for just $2. Most of the action is in the 5c / 10c to $1 / $2 blinds range. There are bigger buy-in games – especially at the 888/WSOP or PokerStars NJ.

You can join tournaments for $1 or less. The biggest weekly games take place online on Sundays, with guarantees of up to $100 available. Bigger real money poker rooms have special events, for example, the New Jersey Spring Championship of Online Poker, aka NJSCOOP, which features a week or more of significant guaranteed events.

How to cash out quickly

If you win a tournament or accumulate money in the cash games, you’ll need to get your money safely out of the poker rooms.

As a rule of thumb, the sites will ask you to use the same method you initially deposited with to return your money. This will not always be possible, in which case, an alternative (for example a paper check) is an option.

You can withdraw quickly using the e-wallet services like PayPal, Skrill or Neteller. If you are verified, then an ACH transfer will also send the funds to you quickly. Alternatives include paper checks, which they can send to your home.

All poker rooms will take a day or two to verify your withdrawal request. You will also need to have completed the ID verification process before you can withdraw.

Are poker sites safe? Are the deals fair?

If you have been around online poker for long, you are sure to have come across at least one player who is convinced that “online poker is rigged.” The fact is that billions of hands have been dealt, and tracking services (including individual player databases) have uncovered zero anomalies with the deal.

Add to this the requirement for regulated, legal sites to have their Random Number Generator software audited. You can feel 100% certain that you are getting a fair deal.

Safety and security of your deposit can depend on individual sites. With some of the biggest and most reputable global brands providing the technology for US poker rooms, I have absolutely no concerns in this area.

You can take simple security measures, for example, by not playing on shared machines, and making sure that the https header is showing on the poker site’s homepage.

Understanding KYC requirements at USA real money poker sites

Many players are happy to join a legitimate, regulated, legal USA poker room and then are surprised when it asks for backup documentation.

ID checks are part of a process of keeping online poker clean. Money laundering and fraud on any scale would mean online poker simply could not happen. Everyone has a role to play, and providing backup documents is a vital part of this process.

These legal poker websites will ask for proof of ID, proof of address and backups for your deposit method. Examples include a photo of the front of your credit card. You are welcome to black out all but the last four numbers if you prefer.

Know Your Customer, aka KYC, also helps prevent underage gambling, which is a critical component of responsible gaming. Other parts of this include links to help organizations, and the ability to self-exclude from a poker site.

Wrap up of online poker in 2020

Poker has come a long way since the dark days of 2011 when the Department of Justice chased away the remaining global giants. Four states have legal online poker (with Pennsylvania about to go live).

Also, sweepstakes poker is available in many more states under existing laws. Better still, there is a growing list of additional states considering their regulation.

You can take advantage of bonus offers which range from entirely free cash to matched offers and free tournament entries. Once you join, you’ll find a lot of action focused on Texas Hold ’em and covering many poker formats.

As the player pools grow between the states, the choice of game, size of the tournaments and number of niche variations can only get better.

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Defining the world’s top poker players is hard because there are so many variables that go into the matter.

First off, most poker pros specialize in either live cash games, online cash games, live tournaments, or online tourneys.

You also have to look beyond just earnings because some players can climb the all-time winnings list with a few big scores.

Then there’s the matter of whether somebody is still actively playing and improving their game.

But while a lot of factors go into deciding the best poker players, some pros stand out above others no matter what games or format they play.

That being said, here’s a look at the 33 best all-around poker players in the world today.

Not even 25 years old, Fedor Holz has rapidly ascended to the top of the poker world thanks to a flurry of big tournament finishes.

The German began a torrid pace in May 2015, when he final tabled two EPT Grand Final high rollers for a total of €667,300.

The same year, he would go on to finish third in the $10k NL Hold’em 6 Handed Championship $268,463, 25th in the WSOP Main Event $262,574, and first in the $100k WPT Alpha8 High Roller $1.59m.

Holz kicked 2016 off by winning the $200k WPTN Triton Super High Roller along with $3,463,500, then finishing runner up in the $300k Super High Roller Bowl $3.5m.

Not finished yet, Holz won the $111,111 High Roller for One Drop and $4,981,775. Just two months later, he won the €50k EPT Barcelona High Roller along with €1,300,300.

It’s difficult to weigh high rollers over a long, steady stream of poker results. But given Holz’s impressive results at such a young age, it’s hard to deny his talent and $20.3 million in livewinnings.

Dan Cates is a great example of perseverance in poker.

Working at McDonald’s and playing online poker on the side, he busted his bankroll several times before making a breakthrough. This breakthrough came in the form of a $5 million profit in 2009.

Since then, Cates has remained a consistent winner in high stakes online cash games, proving both his longevity and ability to keep up with the competition.

Playing under the name ‘w00ki3z,’ Cates led everybody with over $2.8 million in online cash game winnings in 2014. He has $11.5 million in career online winnings at the time of this writing.

A regular in the top 5 of the Global Poker Index GPI rankings, Dan Smith is a top 5 player on my list too.

What helps Smith consistently stay among the GPI’s top players is his mix of outstanding regular and high roller tournament results.

Regarding the latter, Smith has finished: first in the 2012 Aussie Millions $100k High Roller $1m, first in the 2012 EPT Barcelona €100k High Roller €962,925, second in the 2013 Aussie Millions$25k Challenge $243,567, third in the 2015 WSOP $10k PLO Championship $269,564, first in the 2016 Aria High Roller $285,200, third in the 2016 WSOP $25k PLO High Roller $487,361, and second inthe 2016 WSOP $111,111 One Drop High Roller $3.1m.

In all, Smith has $15.1 million in live winnings at the time of this writing.

Daniel Negreanu has plenty of pursuits outside of poker, namely being the face of PokerStars. Nevertheless, he still finds time to hit the felt and rack up cashes.

Negreanu is the biggest tournament winner of all time with over $32.6 million in earnings.

One reason why the Canadian tops the live tournament winnings list is because he’s consistently earned cashes since 1997.

Some of Negreanu’s biggest recent scores include: third in the 2015 WPT Alpha8 $100k High Roller $640,103, 11th in the 2015 WSOP Main Event $526,788, first in Shark Cage Season 2 $966,000, andsecond in the 2014 WSOP $1 million Big One for One Drop $8.3m.

While Jens Kyllönen kicked his poker career off with a win in the 2009 EPT Copenhagen Main Event $1.12m, he’s become much more famous for his online exploits.

The Finnish pro has nearly $5.4 million in online cash game winnings at the time of this writing.

The bulk of his profits came in 2011, when he earned over $3 million. But ‘Jeans89” continues to win, earning over $1.2 million in 2015 and ’16 combined.

Former stock broker Erik Seidel is a true poker legend, starting his poker career in the 1980s at New York City’s Mayfair Club.

Seidel’s first major tournament was the 1988 WSOP Main Event, where he finished second place to Johnny Chan and scooped $280,000. The final hand of this tourney appears as a scene in the 1998movie Rounders.

Seidel hasn’t slowed down since then, earning 8 WSOP gold bracelets and over $30 million in live tourney winnings — second only to Negreanu.

Seidel’s career winnings have been accelerated by big years in 2011 $6.5m, 2015 $5.1m, and 2016 $5.1m.

Ben Sulsky learned poker on a spring break trip to Mexico, reading books and playing online hands during his downtime.

The man known as ‘Sauce123’ has since become one of the biggest winners in online poker history with $4.4 million in profits.

One thing that makes Sulsky impressive is that he continues winning against the world’s toughest players.

A poker pro’s pro; Ike Haxton has earned success in both the live and online poker realms. He has $2.4 million in online cash profits and over $12 million in live tournament winnings.

Haxton’s live career started off very well when he finished second in the 2007 PCA Main Event $861,789. He expanded his bankroll by finishing second in the 2009 WSOP 40th Anniversary tournament$1.17m.

Other big finishes for Haxton include taking fifth in the 2013 GuangDong Asia Millions $1.31m, second in the 2014 Aussie Millions $250k High Roller $2.53m, and second in the 2014 Aria Super HighRoller $813,394.

Earning his first tournament cash in 2010, Tom Marchese has quickly become one of the biggest ever tournament winners with $15.5 million.

What’s amazing about Marchese is his consistency in high rollers, notching 10 six figure cashes in 2016 alone.

The biggest finishes of Marchese’s career include: second in the 2014 WPT Alpha8 $1.57m, first in the 2014 Aria $100k Super High Roller $1.31m, and third in the 2014 Summer High Roller I $1.47m.

If Phil Hellmuth sees this list, he’d quickly argue that he should be No. 1.

Perhaps Hellmuth is underrated because he draws so much flack for his incessant whining, blowups, and self-aggrandizing nature.

But through it all, Hellmuth’s poker talent shines with a record 14 WSOP gold bracelets and $21 million in tournament winnings.

One of the most recognizable faces of the Poker Boom, Patrik Antonius continues to be relevant in the online scene.

The former High Stakes Poker regular has won more money than anybody in online poker history with $15.9 million.

He earned $3.4 million in 2013/14 and continues to test his skills against the top online grinders.

After starting his poker career off with a win in the 2008 EPT Sanremo Main Event €869,000, Jason Mercier continues adding big cashes and wins to his resume.

Some of the Florida based poker pro’s most notable accomplishments include: second in the 2014 Super High Roller $1.62m, first in the 2013 EPT Grand Final $1.46m, and first in the 2011 FiveDiamond World Classic $707,767.

Mercier doesn’t show any signs of slowing down since he won two gold bracelets and cashed 11 times at the 2016 WSOP.

While Brian Rast has always been a good poker pro, he entered a new stratosphere in 2016.

Not only did he take down the WSOP $50k Poker Players Championship $1.3m, but he also won the $500k Super High Roller Bowl and $7,525,000.

These are just a couple highlights from a career that also includes the following finishes: first in the 2011 WSOP $50k Poker Players Championship $1.77m, sixth in the 2012 WSOP $1 million BigOne for One Drop $1.61m, first in the 2013 Five Diamond World Classic $1.08m, and third in the 2014 WPT Alpha8 $755,370.

Dan Colman will always be remembered for two things: 1 his anti-poker rant, and 2 a magical year in 2014.

Both things coincided at the 2014 WSOP $1 million Big One for One Drop, which Colman won along with $15,306,668. Afterward, he said that poker is a “dark game” that he doesn’t owe anything to.

Surely this isn’t the case, though, because Colman has collected over $26 million in live tournaments.

Some of his other big cashes include: first in the 2014 EPT Grand Final €100k High Roller €1.54m, second in the 2014 EPT Barcelona €100k High Roller €843,066, first in the 2014 SHRPO Main Event$1.45m, first in the WPT Alpha8 London £600,000, and third in the 2015 WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop $1.54m.

Doug Polk is a triple threat, known as a great coach, live tournament player, and online cash grinder.

He has almost $700,000 in online cash profits along with $5.07 million in live tournament winnings. Polk’s largest tourney cashes include: fourth in the 2014 Aussie Millions $100k High Roller$770,237, first in the 2014 Super High Roller $1.65m, third in the 2015 Aussie Millions $250k High Roller $807,709, and second in the 2015 WSOP $10k Six Handed NL Hold’em Championship $406,261.

Polk relies on his successful resume when coaching other players and releasing training videos. He’s also an avid YouTuber and Twitch streamer.

Top Female Poker Players

Known as “The Grinder” because he never gives up in a tournament, Michael Mizrachi’s never quit attitude has earned him over $15.3 million in live tourneys.

His first big score came in the 2005 WPT L.A. Poker Classic Main Event, where he finished first and collected $1,859,909. Mizrachi quickly added another WPT title in the 2006 Borgata Winter Open$1.17m.

Other big cashes for Mizrachi include: first in the 2010 WSOP $50k Players Championship $1.56m, fifth in the 2010 WSOP Main Event $2.33m, and fifth in the 2012 WSOP $50k Players Championship$1.45m.

Scott Seiver is another tournament player who consistently finds his way to the GPI’s top ranks. He kicked off his successful career by winning a 2008 WSOP $5k NL hold’em event along with$755,891.

Other impressive cashes by Seiver include: first in the 2011 Five Star World Poker Classic $1.62m, first in the 2012 PartyPoker Premier League V $500,000, first in the 2013 PCA $100k Super HighRoller $2m, second in the 2013 WPT Alpha8 London £509,600, and second in the 2014 EPT Grand Final €25k High Roller €509,600.

At the time of this writing, Seiver ranks sixth all time with over $21.7 million in live cashes.

Having accumulated over $11.83 million in live winnings, Vanessa Selbst is regarded as the best female poker player of all time.

She’s one of the top poker players period and has many notable cashes to back this up.

Top Professional Female Poker Players

Some of Selbst’s career highlights include: winning a 2008 WSOP $1.5k PLO event $227,933, taking first in a 2010 NAPT Mohegan Sun tourney $750,000, first in the 2010 Partouche Poker Tour MainEvent €1.3m, first in the 2011 NAPT Mohegan Sun $450,000, first in a 2012 WSOP Six Handed 10 Game tourney $244,259, first in a 2013 PCA High Roller $1.41m, and first in a 2015 Super High RollerCelebrity Shootout $1m.

In addition to her poker acumen, Selbst is also a civil rights lawyer and graduate of the Yale School of Law.

Although he’s been a successful poker player for a while, David Peters has really come on recently, earning $2.93 million in 2014 and $6.85 million in 2015.

Some of the Toronto’s big recent scores include: first in the 2015 EPT Malta €10k High Roller €597,000, fifth in the 2015 $500k Super High Roller Bowl $1.5m, second in the 2016 WPTN Philippines$200k High Roller $2.3m, and first in the 2016 Asia Championships of Poker High Roller $629,868.

Once regarded as the best all-around poker player in the world, Phil Ivey’s image has taken a hit in recent years.

The reason why Ivey’s reputation dropped is because he’s lost $8.7 million in online poker since Black Friday Apr 15, 2011. But Ivey was such a big winner before this that he still has $10.4million in overall online profits.

Add in the fact that he’s currently sixth all time in live tournament winnings with $23.86 million, and it’s not hard to still see him among the top 20 players.

Nevertheless, with Ivey concentrating on business interests these days, his game has slipped from its once dominant form.

Asian Female Professional Poker Player

While John Juanda started playing live tournaments in the mid-1990s, he didn’t experience any big successes until the early 2000s.

One of his most notable wins includes taking down the 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event and earning £868,800.

Other big scores for Juanda include: second in the 2010 UKIPT London Main Event £545,000, third in the 2012 WPT World Championship $100k High Roller $526,320, fifth in the 2012 Macau High StakesChallenge $1.65m, second in the 2012 WSOP Europe €50k High Roller €600,000, and first in the 2015 EPT Barcelona Main Event €1m.

Aside from earning over $18.8 million in live tournaments, Juanda is also a very good cash player and has played everywhere from Vegas to Macau.

Playing under the screen names ‘Kanu7’ and ‘IReadYrSoul,’ England’s Alexander Millar is one of the biggest online poker winners ever with $4.5 million in profits.

Millar had an incredible run from 2011 to 2013, where he made over $4 million. His play has slowed since then, but Millar remains one of the most feared players in the online nosebleeds.

Another Brit on this list, Sam Trickett had a budding soccer football career before hurting his knee. With little to do because of his ailing knee, Trickett picked up poker and the rest ishistory.

In 2010, Trickett began playing rich businessmen in lucrative Macau based cash games. In an interview, he revealed that he won over £1 million in these games.

But this was nothing compared to what Trickett would do on the live tournament scene in 2011. His biggest 2011 scores include: first in the Aussie Millions $100k High Roller $1.51m, second in theAussie Millions $250k High Roller $1.38m, and first in the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event €1m.

Trickett would follow this up by taking second in the 2012 WSOP $1 million Big One for One Drop and earning $10,112,001. In all, he has almost $20.6 million in live tournament earnings.

Hailing from Toronto, Justin Bonomo quickly experienced online success in the mid-2000s. At one point, he was the youngest poker player to be featured at a final table, playing in the 2015 EPTDeauville finals at age 19.

Bonomo has stayed on top of his game ever since, tallying a number of big cashes on his way to over $12.8 million in live tournament winnings.

Bonomo’s biggest scores include: fifth in the 2009 WSOP $40k 40th Anniversary event $413,165, first in the 2012 EPT Grand Final €100k Super High Roller €1.64m, second in the 2013 SHRPO Main Event$1.16m, fourth in the 2015 Aussie Millions $100k High Roller $632,111, second in the 2016 Super High Roller 8 $558,782, and second in the 2016 WSOP $50k Poker Players Championship $801,048.

Chris Moorman is the best online poker tournament player in the world, amassing a record $13,751,801 at the time of this writing.

Moorman is also has 25 triple crowns, which involves winning three online multi table tournaments with at least a $10k prize pool in a seven day span.

While the Brit dedicates the bulk of his time towards online tourneys, Moorman has also experienced success in the live realm too. He finished second in the 2011 WSOP Europe Main Event €800,000,first in the 2014 L.A. Poker Classic $1m, and third in the 2016 ESPT Barcelona Main Event €241,300.

Steve O’Dwyer’s poker career started off modestly in the mid-2000s, but it’s really picked up over the last several years.

His first big time cash came when he took second in the 2011 UKIPT London Main Event £465,000. He also won the prestigious 2013 EPT Grand Final Main Event along with €1,224,000.

The top moment of O’Dwyer’s poker career came when he won the 2014 Asia Championship of Poker $1.81m in November 2014, followed by victory in the PCA $100k Super High Roller $1.87m in January2015.

Since 2013, O’Dwyer has earned between $2.4 million and $4.8 million every year on the tournament circuit. In all, he has $15.93 million in career winnings.

Phil Galfond is one of the original online poker greats, having battled against the likes of Ivey, Cates, Antonious, and Tom Dwan in high stakes action. Galfond has over $8 million in online cashgame profits throughout his career.

What makes Galfond special beyond his results is that he’s also one of the prominent instructors for training videos.

Galfond’s training videos at Blue Fire Poker offered some of the most innovative strategy that the poker world had ever seen. He eventually left Blue Fire and started his own trainingsite called Run It Once.

The only reason that Galfond isn’t higher on this list is because he doesn’t play as much anymore.

Along with Holz, Ole Schemion is one of several Germans who’ve experienced massive poker success thanks to a heavy mathematical approach.

Schemion’s knowledge of poker math and other strategy has helped him build over $11.4 million in live tournament winnings.

Schemion has won the 2012 Partouche Poker Tour Main Event €1.72m, 2014 Aria $100k Super High Roller $1.1m, and 2016 EPT Grand Final €100k High Roller €1.6m, while he’s taken second in the 2016EPT Grand Final €50k High Roller €857,241, and 2015 Aussie Millions $100k High Roller $1.1m.

Michael McDonald experienced poker success at a very young age, winning the 2008 EPT Dortmund Main Event €933,600 at age 18. The Canadian has proven that this wasn’t just a fluke either, earningover $13 million in his career.

The greatest stretch of McDonald’s career came when he took second in the 2014 PCA Main Event $1m, finished second in the 2014 Aussie Millions $100k Challenge $1.34m, and finished third in theAussie Millions $250k High Roller $1.7m — all within a two month span.

While Antonio Esfandiari is known for many things in the poker world, his biggest accomplishment includes winning the 2014 WSOP $1 million Big One for One Drop along with $18,346,673.

But as his $27.35 million in career winnings suggest, Esfandiari is more than just somebody who won big in a single event.

Other highlights for Esfandiari include: finishing first in the 2004 L.A. Poker Classic $1.4m, first in the 2010 Five Diamond World Poker Classic $870,124, fourth in the 2014 WSOP $111,111 HighRoller for One Drop $1.43m, and fourth in the 2014 PCA $100k High Roller $575,920.

Known as “The Magician,” Esfandiari has also made several mainstream TV appearances, including I Bet You, Entourage, Freelancers, and Underground Poker.

Jonathan Duhamel went from a little known grinder to a famous pro after winning the 2010 WSOP Main Event and $8,944,310. And unlike many players who got a jumpstart from the WSOP Main Event,Duhamel has shown longevity in poker.

Since winning the 2010 Main Event, Duhamel has managed the following notable cashes: second in the 2012 PCA $25k High Roller $634,550, first in the 2015 WSOP $111,111 High Roller for One Drop$4m, and first in the 2015 WSOP Europe €25k High Roller €554,395.

When Viktor Blom burst onto the internet high stakes scene in 2009, he baffled the world’s greatest players en route to over $5.5 million in profits.

Times have been tougher for Blom and he’s gone through a number of wild bankroll swings since then. Nevertheless, Blom has never stopped grinding against top online pros over his career.

Despite being a lifetime loser, I believe that all of the Swede’s upswings show he belongs among the world’s best players.

Starting her adult life as a model and lead singer in a rock / goth band, Liv Boeree switched gears when she was selected for the TV show UltimatePoker.com Showdown. She didn’t win theshow, but it kick started her love of poker.

In 2010, she won the EPT Sanremo Main Event and €1,250,000. Boeree also took third in the 2015 EPT Barcelona €25k High Roller €391,000.

Aside from her poker exploits, Boeree has also appeared on mainstream TV shows like Codex, Golden Balls, BBC Breakfast, Mind Control Freaks, and I Bet MyLife.

This list represents who I see as the world’s top poker players based on their results, current skills, and longevity.

But the poker world never stays still, and new players are always rising up to join the best.

The list that you see here will change greatly over the next 5 to 10 years, and it’ll be interesting to see the new faces.

Of course, we can also expect a number of the players featured here to continue their success while adding more winnings and accomplishments.