While there is hardly a consensus on who the best poker player in the world is, it is more than clear that USA is the country to have produced the biggest poker talents of all times. If you are curious about the lives and careers of the biggest American poker players of all times, you have come to the right place, as our list contains the absolute MVPs of the American poker scene.

From new school poker players like Dan Smith to poker legends like Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel and Phil Helmuth, we have compiled a list of poker players who have shaped the American poker history and have dominated the live and online poker scene for years.

Keep reading to find out the names of American poker players you should always remember if you don’t want to embarrass yourself when talking poker with your buddies. After all, these are the absolute best, and if you aspire to be a poker player yourself, there is certainly something for you to learn from their careers and real life struggles.

• The USA is the number one poker nation in the world
• American players have won record numbers of all relevant poker titles
• Some of the absolute best cash game players in the world hail from the USA
• United States leads the Global Poker Index rankings by over 150 points at this time

1. Phil Ivey

Born: 1 February 1977
Nickname: The Tiger Woods of Poker, No Home Jerome
Specialty: High stakes cash games

Phil Ivey is definitely one of the biggest if not the biggest name in the poker industry. The poker legend has won ten WSOP bracelets and one WPT bracelet to date. In fact, at one time, Phil Ivey was regarded as the best poker pro in the world and considering his amazing successes, this definitely comes as no surprise.

Following his amazing career, this American poker player was included to the Poker Hall of Fame back in 2017. Often times called No Home Jerome and the Tiger Woods of Poker, Ivey has an amazing professional poker career under his sleeve.

He has collected more than $26 million in live poker tournaments over the years. Before deciding to fully focus on his career as a professional poker player, Ivey used to work at a telemarketing company located in New Jersey back in the 1990s.

This is where young Ivey refined his poker skills as he practiced by playing the game against his co-workers. His No Home Jerome nicknames stemmed for his fake ID card he later on used in order to play the game in Atlantic City while he was still a minor.

After winning three WSOP bracelets, he was given his other, more recognizable nickname the Tiger Woods of Poker. When it comes to his love of the game of poker, it started very early on. In fact, Ivey was introduced to the game by his grandfather with whom he used to play five-card stud.

It was his grandfather who convinced him to focus on refining his poker skills more as he saw an amazing talent in young Ivey. He was definitely right as his grandson will become one of the biggest, most prominent professional poker players of all times.

The name of Phil Ivey was relatively unknown before 2000 when young Ivey earned his very first World Series of Poker bracelet. He played against Amarillo Slim and brought home around $200,000 in winnings.

What was more important for him than the money was boosted confidence which he required in order to refine his game. He was not able to win a WSOP bracelet in 2001, but he most certainly blown away the competition the very next year when he won three WSOP bracelet.

Since these times, Phil Ivey added six more World Series of Poker bracelets which totals to ten bracelets in total. It should be noted that his amazing accomplishments are not limited to the World Series of Poker tournaments.

Back in 2005, this amazing American poker player scooped around $1 million after winning another big event, the Monte Carlo Millions poker tournament. Moreover, Phil Ivey was also participating in the World Poker Tour events as well.

His biggest WPT accomplishment is taking first place in the championship 2008 No-Limit Hold’em event. At this event, Phil Ivey defeated Phil Hellmuth and took home slightly over $1.5 million.

His other amazing accomplishments include winning the Aussie Millions No-Limit Hold’em event 2012 where he defeated Patrik Antonius and scooped around $2 million. Two years later, Phil Ivey returned to compete in the same event.

This time he also finished first-placed and cashed out more than $3.5 million. With ten WSOP bracelets and a number of other amazing accomplishments, Phil Ivey definitely deserves to be first placed on this list of the best American poker players.

• Widely considered the best poker player in the world
• He has ten WSOP bracelets and holds one WPT title
• Introduced to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017

2. Antonio Esfandiari

Born: 8 December 1978
Nickname: The Magician
Specialty: Live poker tournaments & Cash games

The second-placed on our list of the best US poker players is Antonio Esfandiari born Amir Esfandiary. Known by his nickname The Magician, Esfandiari has a fruitful professional poker career. In fact, with three World Series of Poker bracelets, two World Poker Tour titles and a number of other accomplishments, Antonio is among the biggest names in the business not only among American poker players but globally speaking.

Antonio was born on 8th of December in 1978 in Tehran, Iran. Nine years after he was born, his family decided to move to California, US. Shortly after graduating high school in 1997, he went to jail for selling for selling marijuana.

Shortly after being released, he decided to change his name legally into Antonio due to his desires to become a magician. He later succeeded and at one of his shows, Antonio was invited to a Texas Hold’em poker game. He was previously introduced to the game by his younger brother.

When it comes to his career as a professional poker player, Antonio is best known for winning three WSOP bracelets. He won his first big cash event back in 2004 when he scooped around $1.4 million in winnings at the Los Angeles Poker Classic event.

Just several months later, Antonio won his first WSOP bracelet playing Pot-Limit Texas hold’em. It also should be noted that Antonio appeared in the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament season two and three.

Back in April of 2017, he made the final table at the PokerStars.com 2008 Grand Final where he finished eighth-placed. Seven years before his PokerStars.com EPT success, he won his second World Series of Poker bracelet by winning the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World which brought him slightly over $870,000 in winnings.

Back in 2012, Antonio won the Big One for One Drop event with a $1,000,000 buy-in. After defeating forty-seven other poker players, he scooped slightly over $18 million. This is the biggest cash winning in poker history. That same year, Antonio won his third bracelet playing the €1,100 No-Limit Hold’em event.

As of 2019, his total live earnings exceed $27 million. With three WSOP bracelets, two WPT titles and a number of other notable accomplishments, he definitely deserved this second place at our list of the best American poker players.

• Winner of the biggest single payout in poker history amounting to over $18 million
• Won three WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles
• Winner of the Big One for One Drop $1,000,000 buy-in tournament 2012

3. Erik Seidel

Born: 6 November 1959
Nickname: Sly, Seiborg
Specialty: Live poker tournaments

With eight World Series of Poker and one World Poker Tour titles, Eric Seidel absolutely deserves his place on this list. In fact, alongside Phil Ivey and Antonio Esfandiari, Erik Seidel is among the biggest names in the industry. What speaks greatly about his accomplishment is his name being introduced to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was born and raised in New York City. Before deciding to fully focus on his career as a professional poker player, Erik Seidel used to play backgammon professionally. At the same time, he also explores his opportunities as a trader on the biggest stock market, the American stock exchange, before he focused on playing poker professionally.

It should be noted that Erik Seidel was a member of the Mayfair club located in the New York which was home to some of the greatest poker players of all times such as Paul Magriel, Stu Ungar, Jason Lester, Dan Harrington, Howard Lederer, Steve Zolotow, Mickey Appleman, and Jay Heimowitz.

After being forced out the America stock exchange due to the market crash back in 1987, Erik was introduced to the game of poker by a group of close friends. With their help just several months after losing his job at the stock market, Erik was playing his very first World Series of Poker Main Event.

He made it all the way to the final table when he was defeated by Johnny Chan. This was the World Series of Poker Main Event 1988. What is interesting is that his final hand in the event was featured in the Rounders movie released in 1998.

He also made it to the World Series of Poker Main Event final table in 1999 where he was fourth-placed. Erik won his very first World Series of Poker bracelet back in 1992 with his eight bracelet won in 2007. It should be noted that he has won WSOP bracelets in five game’s variants including deuces to seven draw, Omaha and hold’em.

In addition to his eight WSOP bracelets, Erik Seidel also won one World Poker Tour title as well as one European Poker Tour title. He won his WPT title at the Foxwoods Poker Classic which brought him $992,890. His European Poker Tour title came in May of 2015 and he won the grand final €100,000 Super High Roller and scooped slightly over €2 million.

His other notable accomplishments include second place at the Aussie Millions $100,000 event 2007, second place at the National Heads-Up Poker Championship 2010 and fourth place at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure High Roller Event 2011.

• As of 2019, his total live earnings exceed $34 million
• Member of the Poker Hall of Fame as of 2010
• Holds eight WSOP bracelets, one WPT title, and one EPT title
  

4. Phil Hellmuth

Born: 16 July 1964
Nickname: The Poker Brat
Specialty: Live poker tournaments

Phil Hellmuth is another excellent American poker player with a number of notable accomplishments under his sleeve. He surely deserves his spot on this list of the best US poker players especially considering the fact that he has won a record number of fifteen WSOF bracelets.

Following his amazing successes, there is no wonder why he was induced in the Poker Hall of Fame back in 2007. Phil was born on 16th of July in 1964 in Wisconsin, United States. He is the oldest of five children born to Phil Hellmuth Senior and Lynn Hellmuth.

He grew up playing different card games, but it was not until his college years when he truly developed a passion for poker games especially for Texas Hold’em. His passion and interested in poker became even bigger when he started visiting local casinos in his area with his close friends.

Before deciding to fully focus on his career as a professional poker player, Phil studied at the University of Wisconsin for almost three years.

At the young age of twenty-four years old, Phil Hellmuth became the youngest poker player to win the WSOP Main Event held in 1989. At the time, he defeated Johnny Chan. It should be noted that Phil held this record for the youngest person to win WSOP Main Event for twenty years before another great poker player, Peter Eastgate took the spot in 2008.

Phil Hellmuth is most certainly best known for his amazing World Series of Poker performances. He has fifteen World Series of Poker bracelets, more than any other poker player. His biggest WSOP Main Event prize of slightly over €1 million came back in 2012 at the €10,450 No Limit Hold’em Main Event.

What is even more impressive than his fifteen WSOP bracelets is him winning three bracelets in a single year. Back in 1993, he won three Hold’em events including $1,500 No Limit Hold’em, $2,500 No Limit Hold’em and $5,000 Limit Hold ’em.

In addition to his amazing performances at the WSOP events, Phil Hellmuth has a number of other notable successes. He won the Poker EM’s seven-card stud event held in Austria 2000. This same year, he also won the No Limit Hold’em main event at the Jack Binion World Poker Open.

He scooped a massive prize worth over $1 million for winning the National Heads-Up Poker Championship held in 2005. The next year, Phil also came close to winning the WPT title when he placed third after Hoyt Corkins and Mike Matusow at the Bad Boys of Poker II tournament held in Los Angeles.

• Induced to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007
• Holds the record for most World Series of Poker money finishes
• Won an unprecedented fifteen World Series of Poker bracelets

5. Dan Smith

Born: 23 February 1898
Nickname: Cowboy Dan, Truck Dan, King Dan
Specialty: Live poker tournaments

Another professional American poker player who definitely deserves a spot on this list of the best US poker players is thirty years old Dan Smith. Dan Smith was born on the 23rd of February 1988. He was introduced to the game of poker at a very young age.

In fact, he found the game at the perfect time as the game itself has been very kind to home. Not many years ago it seemed completely normal for young eighteen-year-old players to join big poker tournaments.

However, the game is getting tougher every year, so it is not that common to see young rising stars joining big events. On the other hand, Dan Smith is that young player who has managed to make it to the top at a very young age.

Dan developed an interest in poker at sixteen years of age. Even though he was not old enough to play the game legally, it did not stop him from chasing his dreams of becoming a professional poker player one day.

Before deciding to fully focus on his career as a professional poker player, he was aiming to get a full chess scholarship at the University of Maryland. However, after graduating, his interesting in playing chess somehow decreased and he decided to invest more time into playing poker.

Back in 2007, he decided to leave college. Just one year later in 2008, he won his very first money prize at the Heartland Poker Tour Main Event for $101,960.

His biggest money prize from professional poker tournaments came when Dan won the Bellagio Super High Roller event with a prize of $2.044,766. As of today, he has more than seventy-four cashes in a variety of poker tournaments with total live earnings exceeding $27 million.

His most successful year in his fruitful career was 2012 when he won three major events. He began the year by winning notable Aussie Mullions 100k Challenge main event where he scooped slightly over $1 million.

Later on, in a span of just five days, he won three €5000 for an amazing prize of €520.980. When it comes to his World Series of Poker appearances, he has twenty-three money finishes. His most notable WSOP appearance is when he finished twentieth-placed at the $10,000 Main Event.

Dan also had several other notable successes such as finishing as runner-up to Greg Merson at the cardplayer POY and winning the GPI POY 2012. Back in 2012, he won the World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

• Was ranked first on the Global Poker Index in September 2014
• His total live earnings exceed $27 million
• Winner of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2013

6. Jason Mercier

Born: 12 November 1986
Nickname: treysfull21
Specialty: Live poker tournaments

With five World Series of Poker bracelets and total live earnings which exceed $18 million, Jason Mercier deserves to appear on this list of the best American poker players. Jason was born on the 12^th of November 1986.

In his extremely fruitful career as a professional poker player, Jason was the Bluff Magazine Player of the year in 2009 as well as World Series of Poker players of the year back in 2016. It also should be noted that Jason was ranked number one in the Global Poker Index as well as number one globally ranked by ESPN.

Furthermore, Mercier holds the record for most days spent as number one on the Global Poker Index. As of 2009, his live earning exceed $18 million and almost $5 million of his earnings came from his fifty-eight cashes he had at the World Series of Poker events.

It also should be noted that Jason Mercier made two EPT final tables. He made it to the top at the European Poker Tour held in San Remo season four 2008. He won this event and won slightly over $1.3 million.

The next season, he also made it to the final EPT table. At this event, he finished eight-placed while the Sebastian Ruthenberg was crowned the winner. In October that same year, Jason won the European Poker Tour £20,000 High Roller Event held in London.

This title earned him an extra of $944.847. As mentioned previously, Jason holds five World Series of Poker bracelets and he also made it seventeen times to the WSOP final tables.

He won the WSOP $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event 2009 for $237,415, $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 2011 for $619,575, $5,000 No Limit Hold’em 2015 for $633,357, $10,000 2-7 No Limit Draw Lowball Championship 2016 for $273,335 and $10,000 H.O.R.S.E Championship 2016 for $422,874.

Jason Mercier is also active in online poker tournaments with several successes. He won his World Championship of Online Poker bracelet in 2010 and his first Spring Championship of Online Poker title in 2014.

Winner of the WCOOP bracelet event 42 2010 Holds five World Series of Poker bracelets and one European Poker Tour title. Was ranked number one on the Global Poker Index for eighty-four weeks 

7. Michael Mizrachi

Born: 5 January 1981
Nickname: The Grinder
Specialty: Live poker tournaments

Known by his nickname The Grinder, Michael Mizrachi is another professional American poker player with a number of accomplishments and successes. He has been playing poker professionally since 2004, while before turning to playing poker as his full-time job, he was a regular college student.

Michael was born on the 5^th of January 1981. Among his biggest accomplishments are four World Series of Poker bracelets, two World Poker Tour titles and one European Poker Tour title.

While growing up, Michael was interested in becoming a doctor but decided to leave college in order to pursue his career as a professional poker player. With his total live earnings which exceed $17 million, Michael definitely deserves his spot on this list of the best US poker players.

Michael found success almost instantly after deciding to pursue his career as a professional poker player. He gained the attention back in 2005 when he finished fifth-placed at the World Poker Open where he scored around $300K.

He has managed to repeat this success that same year when he won the World Poker Tour LA Poker Classics. Furthermore, that same year, he set a record at the WSOP for most money finishes in a single season when he cashed out in seven events in total.

The following year, Mizrachi was second-placed at the World Poker Tour World Poker open and he won the World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Open for $1.1 million. That same year, Michael was named the player of the year by the CardPlayer Magazine.

In later years, The Grinder’s amazing collection of titles was missing a World Series of Poker bracelet. This changed back in 2010 when won his very first World Series of Poker bracelet for slightly over $1.5 million in money prize.

His success continued as he made it to two more WSOP final tables that same year before he won the $10K Main Event. He holds a total of four WSOP bracelets, two WPT titles, and one EPT title.

• Winner of the 2018 WSOP $50,000 Players Championship
• Holds four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles
• Named the Player of the Year 2006 by the CardPlayer Magazine

8. Brian Rast

Born: 8 November 1981
Nickname: tsarrast
Specialty: Live poker tournaments

Brian Rast is definitely one of the most respected professional poker players. He was born on 8^th of November in 1981 in Colorado where he stayed until the 1990s when he decided to move to California. He was a very good student which helped him earn his way to one of the most prestigious universities, Stanford University.

It should be noted that Brian was always interested in games which require strategies. He was also interested in refining his poker skills while he was in high school. He started playing poker during his college years when he joined the Stanford Poker Club founded by his close friend at the time.

Back in 2003, Brian decided to focus on playing poker even more and try making some money. In the spring that same year, he purchased a number of poker books and later on he took a part-time job at Barona Casino to help him with his game.

The following year, he decided to drop out of college and pursue his career as a professional poker player. In the summer of 2005, Brian took his very first shot at the WSOP tournament held in Las Vegas.

After making numerous trips to Las Vegas, he decided to move there permanently to be closer to the biggest live poker tournaments. This proven to be a great decision to make as Brian will win four World Series of Poker bracelets and had seven money finishes at the World Poker Tour events.

Brian won his first World Series of Poker bracelet after defeating Allen Kessler at the WSOP 2011 $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em. Brian won his second World Series of Poker bracelet at the $50,000 Player’s Championship for over $1.7 million in prize money.

His other notable World Series of Poker success include a ninth place at the WSOP 2008 $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha and fourteenth place at the WSOP 2009 $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em. He won his third WSOP bracelet at the WSOP 2016 $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship and his fourth WSOP bracelet at the WSOP 2018 $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship.

Brian was also active in online poker tournaments throughout the years. He was third-placed at the PokerStars Poker’s FTOPS III held in 2007 and third-placed at the NLHE SCOOP 2016.

• His total live earnings exceed $21 million
• Known under his nickname tsarrast on PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker
• Won four World Series of Poker bracelets

9. Vanessa Selbst

Born: 9 July 1984
Nickname: V.Selbst, slexcduck
Specialty: Poker tournaments

Vanessa Selbst is a successful professional poker player. He was the only female to be number one in the Global Poker Index ranking. Her fruitful career as a professional poker player brought her total live earnings which exceed $11 million.

Moreover, she won three World Series of Poker bracelets, has three World Poker Tour money finished and four European Poker Tour money finishes. She was the first as well as the only woman to win three WSOP bracelets.

Furthermore, Vanessa is also the only poker player to win the biggest North American Poker Tour event back to back. After winning the PCA high roller tournament for over $1.4, Vanessa became the highest-earning female professional poker player in the history of poker tournaments.

Before deciding to focus on enhancing her poker skills, Vanessa was a regular student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She stayed here for one year before she decided to transfer to Yale University. Here, she graduated in political science.

Several years later, she received her J.D degree at Yale Law School. When it comes to her poker career, she hit a money prize zone at the World Series of Poker 2006 NLH Event where she placed seventh for $101.285. She won her first WSOP bracelet at the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for $227.933.

Four years later, she won her second WSOP bracelet after winning the $2,500 10-Game Six Handed event for $244.259. Two years later in 2014, Vanessa won her third WSOP bracelet at the $25,000 Mixed-Max No-Limit Hold’em event for $871.148.

It should be noted that she has twenty-one live poker tournament successes which resulted in six-figure money prizes. She made five final tables at Main Event of different poker tours. In addition to winning three World Series of Poker bracelets, she had a number of other successes such as winning the North American Poker Tour 2010 $5,000 Mohegan Sun Main Event.

She repeated the success the next year. She was also first-placed at the Partouche Poker Tour for $1.82 million.

• She was a member of the PokerStars Team pro until 2017
• The only female to be ranked number one in the Global Poker Index
• The first and only female to win three World Series of Poker bracelets

10. Ben Lamb

Born: 31 March 1985
Nickname: Benba
Specialty: Live poker cash games

Ben Lamb is another excellent, extremely talented American poker player. Ben was born on the 31^st of March 1985. He decided to fully focus on his career as a professional poker player in 2004. Just two years later, Ben won the notable United Stated Poker Championship in the $500 No Limit Hold ’em 400-player event for a money prize of $60,000.

In his early career before winning his one and only World Series of Poker bracelet, Ben also won the 2010 Spring Championship of Online Poker in the $109 No Limit Hold ’em event for a money prize of $66.003.

Before winning the WSOP 2011 main event, Ben also made it to the final table at the 2010 World Series of Poker in the $1500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better where he finished fifth-placed for a money prize of $53,319.

His another notable WSOP result prior to winning his WSOP bracelet came at the 2009 WSOP in the 6494-player event where Ben won $633.022. At the 2011 WSOP, Ben had four money finished and was crowned the winner in the 361-player $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship for a money prize of $814.436.

He also finished second in the 2011 WSOP 685-player $3000 Pot Limit Omaha Event 31 for a money prize of $259.918. His other notable WSOP successes including twelve place in the 2011 WSOP 474-player $10,000 No Limit Hold’em, eighth place in the 128-player $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship Event 55. His biggest money prize amounting to $4 million came after being third placed at the 2011 WSOP $10,000 Main Event.

• His total live earnings exceed $9 million
• Winner of the 2011 WSOP Main Event
• Has one WSOP bracelet and five WSOP final tables