Top 10 All-Time Money List (Poker)
We have produced a chart to show the highest-earning players of all time in terms of money made from tournament winnings on the world poker tour. We have highlighted the top 10 professional poker players here.
All-Time Money List
| Ranking | Player | Sponsor | Total Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Justin Bonomo | N/A | $60,483,454 |
| 2nd | Bryn Kenney | N/A | $57,582,665 |
| 3rd | Daniel Negreanu | GGPoker | $50,628,308 |
| 4th | Stephen Chadwick | N/A | $47,294,275 |
| 5th | Jason Koon | GGPoker | $43,794,726 |
| 6th | Erik Siedel | N/A | $42,920,394 |
| 7th | David Peters | N/A | $42,386,284 |
| 8th | Dan Smith | N/A | $41,188,457 |
| 9th | Mikita Badziakouski | N/A | $38,858,201 |
| 10th | Fedor Holz | GGPoker | $38,526,534 |
Daniel Negreanu (Canada)
Although he’s third on the all-time money list, Daniel Negreanu is one of those poker players that has graced Las Vegas with distinction. Known as “Kid Poker”, Daniel Negreanu’s influence and longevity should not be understated as his career spanned over 20 years.
Moreover, Daniel Negreanu was an innovator, and “Kid Poker” was the brainchild behind the “small ball” style of play that took off in cash games in the early 2000s. The main premise behind it was that you can win a lot by not risking too much.
His live tournament winnings speak for themselves, and he bagged six WSOP bracelets. He was no stranger in terms of visits to the World Poker tour final tables, and he was also named the WSOP Player of the Year on two occasions — 2004 and 2013 — the only player to achieve this feat twice.
Bryn Kenney (USA)
Winning as a professional poker player seemed to come naturally at times for Bryn Kenney. Having banked over $57 million in poker earnings, Bryn Kenney was a formidable cash game player on the high roller circuit.
His first recorded cash prize in a poker game came in the early 2000s, and by 2009, he had powered his way to his first WSOP final table. The following year, he came 28th in a WSOP Main Event, taking home a cheque for $255,242 after finishing 28th.
Kenney is also a WSOP bracelet winner, and he was also a regular on the European Poker Tour, cashing in during visits to San Remo, Prague, Campione, Barcelona, and Berlin. Oh, and his first seven-score figure in a live tournament arrived in 2016, where he trousered $1,687,800 in the PCA $100k Super High roller.
Justin Bonomo (USA)
An indomitable influence on the world series of poker circuit, Justin Bonomo is one of the most well known poker players. Sitting proudly atop the all-time money list with more than $60m claimed in career earnings, he played a key role in the internet poker boom. From a young age, Bonomo was destined for success as he made a televised final table at the European Poker Tour French Open in Deauville, France when he was just 19.
With three WSOP bracelets safely stowed away, Bonomo is perhaps most fondly remembered for triumphing in the $1m buy-in for The Big One for One Drop, where he snaffled $10m, and he has also won several titles on the European Tour.
For two years, Bonomo was sponsored by the Bodog Poker online site, and he represented Team Bodog in tournaments across the world.
Phil Ivey (USA)
We couldn’t possibly compile a list of the pre-eminent players in poker history. Indeed, Phil Ivey was what Tiger Woods has been for golf, and therefore he was more affectionately known as the “Tiger Woods of poker”.
During the height of the poker boom in the early 2000s, Ivey was one of the most feared players in the poker world. He blitzed it during high roller tournaments, and was imperious in the big cash games. As far as playing full tilt poker is concerned, he turned in more than a $20m profit.
And like Tiger Woods when he steps out onto the fairway, Phil Ivey expects to win every time he takes his seat at the table. He has this uncanny ability to attract the throes of poker enthusiasts that visit Las Vegas.
Of his incredible achievements, Ivey reached the heads-up play stage on 15 occasions in WSOP events, and some of his biggest tournament wins playing poker have come outside of the USA. He has also been a big hit at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
His biggest win in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship came in 2014 when he landed a prize of just over $3.5m for finishing first. His exploits won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Phil Hellmuth (USA)
Prolific is probably the first word that springs to mind when you think of Phil Hellmuth. Usually referred to as the “poker brat”, Phil Hellmuth often lapped it up on the tables in Las Vegas.
With a record of 15 poker bracelets in his collection, Phil Hellmuth finds himself in the poker hall of fame, and he also notched up 165 cash winnings at WSOP events.
Hellmuth was a lively character on the poker scene, and despite being a poker brat when he had bat beats, his skills were never in doubt. Although he might be renowned for being abrasive, he was just one of those poker pros who would deliver when it mattered most.
Erik Seidel (USA)
One of the most understated poker stars, Erik Seidel is also one of the greatest poker players of his generation, and he has an innate talent for churning out wins in higher roller events even if he doesn’t live to court the publicity.
Erik Seidel has forged some impressive winnings from playing poker, and he has been able to compete at such a high level for over 30 years.
A New York native, Seidel claimed his first WSOP bracelet in 1992, where he took home a prize of $168,000, and aside from being a force on the EPT, he also came very close to winning the Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
Doyle Brunson (USA)
Also known as the “Texas Dolly”, Doyle Brunson has stood the test of time as one of the best poker players in the history of the game. His aptitude for cash games emanated from old Texas road games as well as nosebleed games in Las Vegas.
Inducted into the poker hall of fame in 1988, he has achieved some notable feats during his poker career, including becoming one of the oldest winners of a World Series of Poker tour event at the age of 71 to triumph in a Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino.
The word legend is too often or quickly attributed to the best poker players, but Brunson’s poker career should be celebrated. His tournament winnings of $6.2m might be dwarfed by his cash game winnings, but the Texas road gambler was one of the toughest players around during his heyday. Son Todd Brunson was also a pretty nifty poker player.
Stu Ungar (USA)
Stu Ungar was often referred to as “The Kid” for his youthful looks, and he was arguably the finest gin rummy player of his generation. Having picked up card games from a young age, Ungar was a keen competitor, and his poker career began in earnest in the late 1970s.
By 1980, Ungar won the No Limit Hold’Em World Championship, which was a WSOP main event. He repeated the feat in 1981, and he won a WSOP main event in 1997 for a third time, equalling Johnny Moss’ record for most WSOP main event wins ever.
Sadly, Ungar’s career and life were cut drastically short in 1998 when he died at the age of 45, but he left an indelible mark on the memories of many poker fans.
Johnny Moss (USA)
Just like Brunson, Johnny Moss hailed from Texas, although we haven’t got any concrete figures in terms of winnings from live cash games.
What is known, is that he wound up with nine WSOP bracelets, and he was always considered a top performer. He never shied away in high stakes tournaments, and he always kept his fellow players in check.
Fedor Holz (Germany)
One of the finest players in the world, Fedor Holz is a poker phenomenon in his own right. He scooped some serious winnings in online poker, and that included a $1.3m cash prize, and he is no stranger to poker fans.
Big buy-in events have also proved to be profitable for Holz, as he won a Triton Poker Super High Roller for $3.1m in 2016, and in the same year, he was runner-up in the Super High Roller Bowl. For his efforts in the Super High Roller Bowl, he claimed a further $3.5m.
A deep thinker, Holz is one of the few players that has made the seamless transition from online poker to live tournament play.
Stephen Chidwick (UK)
One of the few British poker players that made the cut for this carefully curated list, Stephen Chidwick has a WSOP bracelet to his name, and he was also a former GPI (Global Poker Index) world number one.
His first recorded cash in was at the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure in 2008, and it was the first of many WSOP cashes, with his best result coming in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship.
The majority of his cashes came in poker tournaments came in Las Vegas, and he managed five top-10 finishes in WSOP bracelet events. Away from the World Series of Poker circuit, Chidwick has emerged as a force in the high stakes world, with a series of six-figure cashes.
Johnny Chan (China)
Rather than thrust himself straight into poker, Johnny Chan grew up modestly in Guangzhou, China before his family made the move to Hong Kong. When he emigrated to the US, Chan went to college and studied hotel and restaurant management as he thought he would take over the family business some day.
But he became one of the most famous poker players in the world, as he won an astonishing 10 WSOP bracelets. He became the first foreigner to win a WSOP main event, and he took his place in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002.
Jason Koon (USA)
Jason Koon and triton poker go hand in hand. He has been a mainstay on the triton poker high roller scene, Koon’s breakthrough result came in 2016 when he won his first tournament (SHRPO Championship) where he cashed in for $1m.
Koon has played in triton poker high roller events since 2018, and he also cashed at the Triton Million London Series which further underlined his pedigree. His biggest win in a cash game was in 2018 when he claimed a prize of just over $3.5m at the No Limit Hold’Em Short Deck in Montenegro.
Dan Smith (USA)
A poker player now residing in Las Vegas, Dan Smith made his first cash at live events in 2008. In his first four years as a poker player, he cashed 17 times, made eight final tables, and won a pair of events. He was also in the money at the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure in the NAPT Main Event.
He was also a successful online poker player, and aside from being a diehard New York Yankees fan, Dan Smith has used his poker skills to become a member of Team Leggo as a poker coach. Many poker fans will be aware of Dan Smith for his philanthropic efforts driven through social media.
Vanessa Selbst (USA)
One of the few female poker players appearing on this list, is Vanessa Selbst. Having generated just shy of $12m in career earnings, she was one of the best poker players of her generation. Success came easily to her, and she is one of only three female players to land three WSOP bracelets.
Her first WSOP bracelet arrived in 2008, and her live tournament earnings were impressive too. Since retiring as a professional poker player, Selbst got married, and she has two children.
Chris Ferguson (USA)
Despite winding up with six WSOP bracelets, Chris Ferguson was arguably one of the most hated players of all time. He was perhaps best known for his involvement in the Full Tilt Poker Scandal, an online company that Ferguson founded and was a director of.
In 2017, the year he won his sixth WSOP bracelet, he was also named World Series of Poker Player of the Year. Although his reputation was sullied, he is still one of the greatest poker players of all time.
Antonio Esfandiari (Iran)
Nicknamed the “Magician”, Antonio Esfandiari usually has a box of tricks that he can pull out of his sleeve for poker tournaments. Although he’s fantastic at pulling off tricks with cards and chips, he is most famously known for winning the Big One for One Drop. His victory in One Drop saw him pocket over $18m.
Esfanidiari is a standup guy, and he’s had many a poker bracelet to show for his exploits on the table (six to be precise). From live poker tournaments, Esfandiari has claimed over $27.5m which is simply incredible.
Jennifer Harman (USA)
Jennifer Harman had a distinguished career, and she began playing at the age of 16 when she started sneaking into casinos. She enjoyed a meteoric rise, and she won her first bracelet in 2000 in a No Limit Hold’Em game. What was even more remarkable, was that Harman didn’t know much about Limit Hold’Em games until she received a five-minute tutoring session from Howard Lederer.
And the rest is history! She is one of the most famous players on the women’s circuit, and she continues to play today as well as running a charity that holds poker games.
David Peters (USA)
A four-time WSOP bracelet winner, David Peters is a prominent figure on the all-time money list, with over $40m accrued in career tournament earnings. Peters initially cut his teeth in the game in online events, and he was inspired by Chris Moneymaker, who clinched a WPT title in 2003.
Peters was often quiet and unassuming at the table, but he was a monster when it came to live tournaments, and his biggest win in live tournaments arrived in a high roller event when he cashed for over $1m. His gathering card game was almost second to none, and he has wound up with five WSOP bracelets, with his most recent one coming in 2022.
Mikita Badziakouski (Belarus)
A former PartyPoker ambassador, Mikita Badziakouski was one of those young players who was destined for the top. His first live tournament cashes came in Ukraine in the early 2010s, but he announced himself on the scene when he made a six-figure score at the EPT Monte Carlo in 2016.
He also made a name for himself in poker main event tournaments, and he has picked up some big wins along the way, including two fourth-place finishes securing him just over $1.2m. The Belarusian is only 31, but he continues to play in online events.
Special mentions
This list contains 20 of the greatest poker players of all time, although there were plenty that have been omitted, who collected a WSOP win or a few world poker tour titles along the way, including Alex Foxen, Paul Phua, and Victoria Coren Mitchell.