Famous Poker Hands From The Best Poker Players
Poker is a popular card game for various reasons, one of which is the large number of different hands that can be played throughout a game.
There are frequently fascinating or downright weird cards played out at poker tables across the world, both online and live. Poker has it all, from horrible poor beats to precisely timed bluffs.
Early poker tycoons like Doyle Brunson, who had been dominating all kinds of people while road-tripping throughout the country, only became regarded as one of the best poker players of all time after that.
Here are some famous poker hands from the best poker players.
Winning Hands from the WSOP Main Event by Doyle Brunson
Brunson was one of the first poker players dubbed a “legend.” Doyle traveled around North America playing informal poker tournaments and games in pubs and private settings before The World Poker Series.
He has over ten World Series of Poker bracelets and two Main Event victories in his professional poker career, and his novels Super System and Super System 2 are well-known.
The “Godfather of Poker” is still one of the most well-known figures in the game, and he was still playing high-stakes cash tables well into his eighties.
At 71, Brunson became the oldest player ever to win a World Poker Tour title; as of 2021, this record still holds. In addition, Brunson was one of the initial players in the WSOP’s first event.
Brunson won the $10,000 WSOP Main Event in 1976 and 1977, making him the most successful poker player of all time. Astonishingly, his back-to-back performances finished with the same winning hands — the 10 2 followed by the 10 2 a year later.
He is an old-school road gambler, 10 WSOP titles, millions of dollars in winnings, and even the face of an internet poker organization.
Moneymaker’s KO on Ivey
Chris Moneymaker and Phil Ivey battled it out at the final tournament of the 2003 WSOP Main Event, earning the title of “hand that altered poker history,” according to PokerGO.
A-Hearts, Q-Diamonds was picked up by Moneymaker. Then he escalated the situation, only for Ivey to tap 9-Spades, 9-Hearts. Following that, the flop came Q-Hearts, 6-Diamonds, Q-Spades, a superb finish for Moneymaker, who had placed a large bet.
When the 9 Flowers struck the deck on the turn, Ivey called, and pyrotechnics erupted.
Ivey had a full house now, but Moneymaker, on the other hand, though he was in terrific condition with three-of-a-kind. Moneymaker started with a significant stake once more, and Ivey paused for a moment before declaring all-in.
Moneymaker made a hasty call and appeared to be on his way to lose a large pot. However, an A-Spades landed, giving Moneymaker a more extraordinary full house. While Ivey sat stunned, he clenched his fist in joy.
In 10th position, he struck the escape door, and the rest is poker history.
Moneymaker’s victory that year sparked the global poker boom and a spike in online poker. Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2019, the man with the ideal poker surname is still one of the game’s greatest stars.
Daniel Negreanu’s clash between Gus Hansen
High Stakes Poker could no longer be on our television screens, but it’s one of the finest and most fascinating pokers shows at the time because it gave us ordinary humans a glimpse into the world of high-stakes cash games.
Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu fought in a $300/$600/$100a hold’em game, and one hand in particular sticks out from the crowd, involving a chiller of a hand.
With 5-Diamonds 5-Clubs, Hansen raised $2,100, Negreanu pushed to $5,000 with 6-Spades 6-Hearts, and Hansen called.
Hansen checked, Negreanu risked $8,000, and Hansen check-raised to $26,000 on an action-inducing flop of 9-Clubs 6-Diamonds 5-Hearts. Negreanu called.
The 5-Spades came to the next move, giving Hansen quads. Then, finally, Negreanu called Hansen’s $24,000 stake into the $63,700 pot.
Hansen reviewed his quads after the 8-Spades finished the board. Negreanu placed a $65,000 wager.
“I’m all in,” Hansen declared. “Huh?” replied a perplexed Negreanu.
The pot had grown to $408,700, and Negreanu ultimately called, handing Hansen a massive $575,700.
Pocket Nines by Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth was the young poker gun in 1989, even though he now has 15 WSOP victories. He went head-to-head for the WSOP Main Event crown with another poker great, Johnny Chan, who appeared to be on his way to becoming the first man to win the Main Event three times in a row.
At the moment, Hellmuth had only one WSOP cash, yet he went on to defeat Chan. At the age of 24, Phill became the youngest player to win the Main Event (at the time).
The Poker Brat won the tournament with Pocket Nines as his last hand. The Hellmuth poker hand earned him many awards and launched a colossal gambling career.
He now has the most WSOP bracelets, amounts of cash, and other series records. In addition, Hellmuth is still one of the most well-known poker players.
The Iconic Johnny Chan Trap
Anyone who has watched the movie Rounders has seen this play out on screen. Johnny Chan’s outstanding play inspires Mike McDermott to improve his game and compete in the WSOP.
The 1988 Main Event was a head-to-head match between Chan and Erik Seidel. A flop of Q-Flowers 8-Diamonds 10-Hearts gave the Orient Express the nut straight and Seidel top pair with Q-Flowers 7-Hearts for the two players.
Chan bet after Seidel checked, only to be raised by Seidel, who then tanked a little while holding the nuts. However, he ultimately just called, and on the turn, both players examined the 2-Spades.
“Erik Seidel isn’t aware that he can’t win this hand,” the ESPN analyst says. “By taking his time, Chan is attempting to lure him in.”
Seidel pushed all-in with a 6-Diamonds landing on the board, making Chan’s call simple. As a result, he won the Main Event for the second time in a row.
Final Words On The Most Famous Poker players With Historic Hands
Over the years, poker has generated some great moments. In addition, some of the most well-known poker hands have endured the test of time.
With poker’s popularity remaining strong, there might be many more big hands in the following years and decades, and these are only a few of the most well-known poker players with historic hands of all time.
With that being said, new players emerge, particularly in the online poker arena, where their identities are less well-known.