Poker's Top Players: How Rankings Have Changed in Five Years

The poker world has seen significant changes in the past five years, particularly in the rankings of top players. The introduction of super high roller tournaments has altered the dynamics of live tournament prize money. In 2013, Antonio Esfandiari topped the rankings after winning the One Drop tournament for $1,000,000. Sam Tricket followed closely, having lost to Esfandiari in the same tournament.

The top 20 list of 2013 included notable poker stars such as Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, John Juanda, Michael Mizrahi, and Scotty Nguyen. These players were prominent figures in the poker scene during the early 2000s. The rankings also featured winners of the Main Event at the World Series of Poker, including Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem, Jonathan Duhamel, Carlos Mortensen, and Greg Merson.

In contrast, the current top 20 rankings reflect a different set of leaders. Daniel Negreanu is one of the few players from the 2013 top 20 who has maintained and improved his position. Justin Bonomo leads the current rankings, having won over $25 million in 2018 alone. Isaac Haxton moved up to 13th place after winning the Super Highroller Bowl. Negreanu expressed skepticism about the reliability of the rankings, noting that they do not account for buy-ins. He also mentioned that the current format of high-stakes games is less exciting to watch on TV. Antonio Esfandiari is known for organizing and participating in high-stakes private games, often playing with friends.