Best tournament player of all time

[NHFunkii]

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VV,

I think you should check your facts. Also, I do not really care about cashes and table appearances. I am talking about the legends of tournament poker in this thread, guys who are all about winning, not cashing.

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El D,

This is why I voted for phil. When it comes down to it, the only way to measure skill is in wsop bracelets won, and this guy has them all beat. Ok sure, doyle and chan may have lucksacked their 10th bracelets to pull ahead last year, but the fields nowadays are filled with donkeys, and I think we can safely ignore any bracelet won in the past two years. Also, that is why I didn't vote for jeff. Sure anyone can plow through a field of 2000 complete idiot internet players, but I'd like to see jeff madsen win the wsop main event back when it was a tough game full of pros.

Basically what it comes down to is that phil hellmuth is a god among men, and to vote for anyone else would be an insult.

[OHFreak]

Do not make Bill Baxter angry, neither.

[DCJ311]

My personal votes based on playing with or watching these individuals:

Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, John Gale, and Allen Cunningham are exceptional tournament players.

Chan, Hellmuth, Brunson, and especially Negreanu are all top tier but none would get my clear vote for best ever.

Guys like Madsen, Chen, Hachem, and Mizrachi are all proven to be great but definitely would not get my vote either.

I played a PLHE tournament recently with Gale (he won the event) and he was very impressive. Made a lot of very good reads at the table.

[kemystery]

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ebolivia

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[benfranklin]

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Do not make Bill Baxter angry, neither.

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Billy Baxter is the greatest of all time:

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On a final note, it seems everyone has taking a real disliking to one Shawn Sheikhan, for his often boorish behavior. Well waiting for the tournament to start there was only one game going and it was a $400-$800 mixed game with seven players. Eskimo Clark, Joe Awada, Sheikhan, and Billy Baxter were four that I recognized. Apparently the game had been going for a while but Baxter had just bought in for $30K right before our tournament was getting ready to start.



Now if you don't know Baxter check the link, he's a seven-time WSOP bracelet winner five times winning the deuce to seven triple draw. He's a good ole boy from Georgia with a thick southern accent and he's very loud, not to mention his prison jumpsuit orange shirt. He starts busting on Sheikhan from the door and he's getting him riled up. Now the rail is full prior to our tournament and Baxter calls out Sheikhan in front of all the spectators. "I'll give you three-to-one that I leave here with more chips than you." The finally agree on Sheikan putting up $1300 to win $4000.



After I busted out there was like 20 minutes to go until Chris and Carmen hit break so I'm watching the big game. Now this game is no joke with each player having multiple racks of black chips.($10k a rack) Now it's a mixed game and guess what time it is? Yep deuce to seven triple draw.



Cards are dealt four players, max bets. First draw all four players stay, max bets. Second draw but Sheikhan does not need cards, two players fold and again max bets. Third and final draw Baxter takes one card and doesn't even look at it. Now I'll give Baxter credit, he must have figured whether or not he got the card he needed he was pot committed so with his balls of steel he and Sheikhan max the bets at which point Sheikhan is all-in. Sheikhan turns over 7-6-4-3-2. Baxter slow rolls the cards he knows he has.....7......4......3.......2.......pause. Man it was [censored] electric. The other players rose from their seats to watch this showcase and I had the privilege, not counting the dealer, of being the only non-player to witness the literal turn of events.



Baxter after pausing a good ten seconds for dramatic effect, loudly drawls, "I think I got ya Shawn." and turns over the [censored] 5 of diamonds for the nuts. It was like an amazing magic trick, he pulled that five out of thin air and everyone was stunned.



Seven of us, five players, the dealer and myself, let out a communial gasp when the Baxter turns over the card. Sheikhan turns white as a ghost and slumps into his chair looking like a sniper just dropped him from afar. He didn't move for a good twenty seconds before he slowly starts shaking his head from side to side in utter disbelief.



He finally gets up and in a pain-staking barely audible voice mumbles, "[censored]." Looking at the ground shaking his head he starts heading to the exit door of the poker room. Baxter bellows to Sheikhan just before he gets to the door, Ya commin back Shaw-On?" Sheikhans reply is, "[censored] this for today," and before he even finishes his sentence a cackling Baxter says, "What about the $1300 you owe me from the side bet?"



Now its pure rage and Sheikhan true to form blows up, unlike the '05 WSOP tirade though, this one is filled with expletives. Finally after the outburst he reaches into his pocket and takes out his last $300 and drops it on the table. He tell Baxter I owe you a thousand and quickly disappears through the exit. And that my friends is the last I saw of Shawn Sheikhan today.


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[i am run]

Phil Hellmuth. no question.

[SackUp]

no bill filmaff?

[Jeffmet3]

I'm sorry, but for those of you trying to prove Diablo wrong, you're honestly really dumb.

John Gale is the greatest poker player ever.

[josh_x]

How about Tony G? He seemed to have a really good ability to throw his opponents off guard - a crucial skill.