The Mount Rushmore of Poker Player Personalities

In poker, there are several players for whom immortality is assured, but which player represents each of those ‘Mount Rushmore’ ideals in the hearts and minds of poker players across the most powerful nation in the world? From the Godfather of Poker to the Poker Brat, each generation is explored as we pick four poker greats whose faces are just waiting to be hewn from rock faces.

The Godfather: Doyle Brunson

There can be no doubt that in the pantheon of poker players of old, one man stands atop the mountain looking down on all others, so this is an easy enough pick. Or is it? We’ve already mentioned The Godfather of Poker, but who is he? Well, none other than the 1976 and 1977 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Doyle ‘Texas Dolly’ Brunson, of course.

Texas Dolly began life as a Texan, a Christian and a basketball star at college before a knee injury put paid to his NBA career and sent several top team’s scouts back to their home states without the signature they desired. While laid up in recovery, Doyle discovered poker and the rest is history.

When considering the best of the ‘old guard’ of poker, it is hard to look past the achievements of The Grand Old Man of Poker, three-time world champion Johnny Moss, or even Amarillo Slim, whose growth of the game due in no small part to his personality pushed poker towards the respected position it is now held in. But we have to give the nod to Doyle, not only for his work to grow poker in its formative years but for staying relevant for 50 years, respected by all who knew him and recognized by his silhouette alone.

Doyle Brunson died on May 14^th, 2023, just missing out on the latest World Series of Poker. Texas Dolly had been active in later years and was delighted to see the WSOP return to its natural home of the Lad Vegas Strip. Here he is at his best, dominating conversation and action at the high stakes felt.

Chris Moneymaker: Growing the Game

If Doyle Brunson was mostly responsible for the birth of poker as we know it, then who should be carved in granite by teams of builders for the game’s growth? The early years of poker were much slower in their growth than many decades to come and the overriding factor in that growth sport later on was one player.

Over the early years of the game, new players came along and created headlines, including Stu Ungar, who won in 1980, 1981 and eventually again in 1997. Johnny Chan won back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988 and Phil Hellmuth, the 24-year-old math prodigy, robbed Chan heads-up of the elusive third title in a row. However, one man pushed the game forward more than all of these players: Chris Moneymaker.

When Moneymaker, then an accountant, won the 2003 WSOP Main Event for $2.5 million from a buy-in of just $80 on PokerStars.com, the poker world was stunned. Eliminating another legend who’ll come up later in our list on his way to victory, Moneymaker eventually beat Sammy Farha heads-up and changed the course of poker history forever.

From that moment on, Moneymaker’s victory pushed millions of ordinary players online to play the game in the hope of emulating his incredible feat. ‘The Moneymaker Effect’ was the single biggest reason for poker’s growth, as just a few short years after his win in Las Vegas, there were 8,000 people playing the World Championship instead of 800.

Here’s what happened back in that magical summer 21 years ago.

Phil Ivey: The Development of Poker

If Moneymaker’s gift was to grow the game, then one of his victims on the way to his stunning victory in 2003 was to develop the game’s skill level more than any other. Phil Ivey, known in his early career as ‘No Home Jerome’ thanks to a fake ID and a complete unwillingness to leave the casino’s poker cash game tables, is perhaps the player most held aloft by his peers as the greatest.

Whilst there cannot be a ‘Greatest of All Time’ due to time itself not having quite played out yet, there is no doubt that in 200 years’ time, Phil Ivey will still be in the conversation as the best ever. Ivey developed a way of playing poker that made the game cooler than ever before. From stare downs to strategy, the enigma of Ivey is such that even today, there is a magic about him even speaking on camera about poker. He is notoriously private – other than with those who share his felt – and in-game, he is one of the most intimidatingly skillful players ever to look down at hole cards.

Ivey is a symbol for all those who dream of playing poker in the best way, and of playing the best poker. Ivey once won a tournament, walked from the table straight into his winner’s interview and declared himself disappointed because he’d made mistakes. We all know speak of GTO (Game Theory Optimal) poker, but Ivey invented it.

Ivey’s face simply has  to be on the Mount Rushmore for poker, if only for how he plays the game.

Preserving the Magic

In poker’s great half-century of success, the birth of the game, its development and growth aside, what makes it so successful is its ability to adapt. Take COVID for example. While many other industries crumbled, poker thrived, moving the WSOP online, transferring to the digital world in order to preserve the poker industry. After the pandemic hit in 2020, live poker returned bigger than ever, leading to what many refer to it as ‘the Second Poker Boom’.

Who is responsible for the preservation of the game? It’s almost impossible to look directly past Phil Hellmuth (he won’t let you for one). The Poker Brat has won the most WSOP bracelets, dominated more headlines and created more of an industry fervor for the game of poker than anyone else in history… apart from perhaps his long-time friend, Daniel Negreanu.

‘Kid Poker’ not only has seven WSOP bracelets, but has won the Poker Players Championship, and has amassed over $50m in live tournament earnings alone. Sponsored by both PokerStars and GGPoker in his time, the current GGPoker Global Ambassador is the best-known face of the game and has been for 20 years, constantly adapting with the times.

You can check out the timeline of Daniel and Phil right here in our exclusive deep dive into the two men’s chequered histories, but we’d call it a tie. Carve one side of that final face with the bearded grin of Negreanu and add a black basketball cap to the other side on top of The Poker Brat’s beaming smile. It’s a dead heat.

Watch the two old frenemies battle it out on High Stakes Duel here and decide for yourselves.

Conclusion

Poker’s rich history has been shaped by four iconic figures, each contributing uniquely to the game’s evolution. Doyle Brunson set the foundation, bringing poker into the mainstream, while Chris Moneymaker’s incredible victory opened the doors for a new generation of players. Phil Ivey elevated the game with his unmatched skill, solidifying his place among the greats. Meanwhile, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu have maintained poker’s excitement and visibility, continuously pushing the game forward. These individuals symbolize poker’s journey from its humble beginnings to a global phenomenon, ensuring its legacy endures for years to come.