Depending on your preferred playing style and skill level, some casino games may be more appealing to you than others. However, arguably one of the most popular and common casino games through the years is poker. Fans of the timeless card game suggest that a “poker boom” happens every 40 years.
According to recent data from Statista, there were 10,366 poker tables used in gambling locations worldwide last year. Of these, 7,000 were in North America, making it the region with the most poker tables globally. In comparison, Europe hosted 2,700 poker tables.
There are many factors contributing to the so-called poker boom between 2003 and 2006. The classic casino game grew in popularity thanks to the film Rounders in 1998, alongside the rise of online poker. Many fans and experts also believe that the NHL lockout in 2004-05 that led to poker programming filling in ESPN airtime also contributed to the popularization of the sport.
Regardless, some key poker players and professionals have stood out through the past few decades for their significant contribution in making poker the timeless casino game we know today. Below, we’ll look at four poker players who put the sport on the map:
Chris Moneymaker
In May 2003, Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event after winning his seat via an $86 satellite tournament by online poker room PokerStars. Moneymaker was one of 839 entrants in the event, 200 more players from 2002 and more than double the 393 competitors recorded in 1999. Following Moneymaker’s win, the 2004 Main Event saw 2,576 players competing.
Today, Moneymaker’s poker Cinderella story remains an inspiration for many aspiring poker professionals. In 2021, the poker icon signed a deal with America’s Card Room after parting with PokerStars, joining the site’s pros including vloggers Jeff “Boski” Sluzinski and Ryan DePaulo. Aiming to find “the next Moneymaker,” America’s Card Room is the leading American online poker provider, offering tournament schedules for players across all levels. This includes the Sunday Moneymaker tourney, giving players a chance to win seats at hundred-thousand-dollar Main Events the way Moneymaker did over two decades ago.
Daniel Negreanu
Canadian poker player Daniel Negreanu was named “the best poker player of the previous decade” by independent poker ranking service Global Poker Index in 2014. As of 2024, he ranks seventh in the list of biggest live tournament poker winners of all time. Nicknamed “Kid Poker”, he was named the WSOP Player of the Year in 2004 and 2013, making him the only player to receive the accolade more than once.
In 2022, Negreanu placed 17th at the then record-breaking World Poker Tour World Championship, bagging $176,200 of the $29 million prize pool. Negreanu, who lived in Las Vegas where the tournament was held at the Wynn, entered as a two-time WPT Champion. Today, Kid Poker holds seven World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and two WPT championships. His popularity as a professional and decorated poker professional has also landed him roles and cameos as poker players in Hollywood films, including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, improv comedy The Grand, and poker drama Lucky You.
Phil Hellmuth
Speaking of decorated poker professionals, American pro Phil Hellmuth’s live tournament winnings officially exceeded $30 million as of 2024. Hellmuth has won a record seventeen WSOP bracelets, the majority of which came from playing no-limit hold’em. Today, he is referred to as one of the greatest tournament players in history. His latest WSOP bracelet win was in 2023 during the 17th World Series of Poker, taking home $803,818 at the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em event.
Known for his “Poker Brat” personality, Hellmuth has also committed to helping the widespread growth of poker. Over the years, he worked on several instructional poker videos and wrote several poker books and editorials for Cardplayer magazine. Hellmuth’s dominant tournament record and bold personality has certainly helped bring poker to wider audiences. As per his Reddit AMA a decade ago, Hellmuth also enjoys giving to charity, often donating his WSOP bracelets.
Johnny Chan
Finally, American pro Johnny Chan holds ten WSOP bracelets starting from his first in 1985 in a Limit Hold’em event. When he won the WSOP in 1987 and 1988, he became the first foreign national to win the main event and the last to win back-to-back WSOP Main Events.
In 1998, Chan made a cameo appearance in the iconic poker film Rounders, starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. The film was a cult hit and features Damon and Norton’s characters facing off with Johnny Chan. Damon himself reportedly played against Chan in real life as well, even though the outcome of that game wasn’t as cinematic. Chan has also appeared in the 2009 Hong Kong movie, Poker King, as himself.
If you enjoyed this post and are interested in trying your hand at poker, you may want to check out our guide to “Getting Started with PC Gaming” to ensure smooth and seamless online poker experiences. For more insights, updates, tips, and guides for card games, you can check out more of our Card / Board Games posts, which ranges from Dungeons & Dragons to Magic the Gathering.
