If this isn't good, sorry, mods. I just will find this fascinating. And remember when i post threads on 2+2, i usually read them without being logged in.

1) Doyle Brunson
2) Chip Reese
3) Big Stu Ungar
4) Phil Hellmuth
5) Phil "Jerome" Ivey

In what format?

For tourneys, Eric Seidel and Hellmuth for sure.

1. Cyprus the Frenchman
2. The Marf
3. Bill Fillmaff
4. Tim Dawn
5. Tuff Fish

Top 10 (not top 10 favorite)

1. Mikael Thuritz
2. Trueteller
3. Patrik Antonius
4. Erik Sagström
5. Andrew Robl
6. Phil Galfond
7. Abe Mosseri
8. Di & Hac Dang
9. Daniel Cates
10. David Benefield

Picking GOATs is always tough.

Certainly Chip and Stu are well regarded by those that remember them

Doyle has the bracelets, but not in the modern era. Love him, but he didn't even step into the ring with Andy Beal (and I don't think that was in the terms of the agreement)

Phil Hellmuth has certainly proved himself this year with results in 'all' the games, but he still doesn't have cash props 'on film' or verified by other poker players.

Phil Ivey definitely was on his way and is definitely still there in some minds, but how much will his 'bump in the road' cost his poker legacy

Plenty of wizards out there but they may be too young still .. GL

1. Phil Hellmuth

2. Doyle Brunson

3. Viktor "isildur1" Blom

4. Dan "jungleman"Cates

5. Phil Ivey

1.) durrrr
2.) OMGClayAiken
3.) Patrik Antonius
4.) Phil Ivey
5.) Doyle Brunson

Wtf? Why?

Dwan and Galfond are definitely in contention

6. Jamie Gold

Dylan
Dylan
Dylan
Dylan
Dylan

Linus, Steffan, makeboifin, similar in that vein in some order we aren't capable of assessing

Paisting and Habibi

In all seriousness, probably anyone who has crushed for a long time without any silly drama.

Probably zero since he had a solid run from around 2003-2013 where most people thought he was the best all-around player. From the fan perspective, it's a little sad that we haven't seen much of him in MTTs in the last decade, but he already had an epic reign prior to that, so his legacy is secure in that sense.

This stuff is always hard (impossible?) to quantify without knowing what's really going on in the cash game streets, and a lot of that stuff is bound by a code of silence to a certain degree. My only thought is that Ungar seems pretty overrated by a lot of people. The three WSOP titles are impressive, but his story is as much about instability and wasted potential as sustained dominance. He's closer to being the Len Bias of poker than the Michael Jordan of poker. People who played in that era don't seem awed by his cash game performance, as it sounds like he was too inconsistent and temperamental to reliably play his A-game. Meanwhile those people speak really highly of Chip Reese, who may not have the prodigy/genius thing that makes Stuey fascinating, but was probably a bigger winner.

Ultimately it's a fool's errand though to do these rankings because we simply don't have enough information about buy-ins, wins, and (most importantly by far) cash game performance. I can't even tell you who the top 5 players are right now, much less all-time. People like durrrr, Ivey, and Jungle who seemingly play massive live cash frequently are not even messing with MTTs for the most part, so there's very little public data by which to judge them. I'm sure there are others like that.

Seidel
Ungar
Ivey
Hellmuth
Galfond

Thanks bro

Thuritz is surely on the list. Been a top online player for 15+ years now. (and winning loads in macau)

beat me in the pot

Phil Ivey
Patrik Antonius
Garrett
Durr
Viffer

Nick, Jimmy, and Archie the Greeks....and Eskimo.

11. Ike Haxton
12. Jens Kyllönen
13. Sauce1234
14. Berri Sweet
15. Limitless
16. Cole South
17. John Monnette
18. Erik Seidel
19. Ben Tollerene
20. Justin Bonomo


Unfortunately, my list is severely lacking in Chinese players from the huge cash games due to complete lack of info

Just your top 5 "best guys" the last 120 years. I know this is the list, and not an opinion, but i'll act like it's an opinion.

Viffer is grinding 2/5 in Vegas. LOL. I always hear people here like "I SEEN VIFFER PLAYING 2/5" LOL. Garrett is becoming a legend himself. Patrik is good, too... but best ever? He definitely is in some of my favorite hands the last 20 years. Durr is pretty nuts, eh? He just hasnt ran like he did years ago for a while.

I know this sounds "crazy"... but i swear, in these high-stakes battles PLO HU.. if Galfond gave me some of these chances to just end it he gives these guys, i'd do it.

That's why i like this Garrett guy... he's a genuine poker genius... and he's a great guy... that's one thing i hate about hellmuth.. like phil is a good, good person... but some times he berates people and it's like "Does he realize he's phil hellmuth?"

Is sitting down in a game to blow off some steam and go all in every other hand for an hour the same as grinding?

I'll do the obligatory thing: Brilliant27

Yeah, I know, so eight years ago.

Oh, I doubt you see/hear this all that often, given that a pretty small percentage of 2+2ers are from the deep South.



Okay, but seriously...

Not many seconds for Chip Reese (I see you DogFace) so I'll add myself to the list for that. And while I'm at it, I'll also downgrade Stu Ungar in that his cash game prowess seems to have mixed reviews.

RIP the greatest ever youtuber