Best WSOP Final Table Ever

[PartySNGer]

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I've read a lot of poker bios/history stuff and it never ceases to amaze me how these guys assume that the only 6 guys in the world that played NLHE at that time are still the best players in history. They were also the best golfers, sports bettors, gin players, domino players, and pool players in history.

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Excellent point. I've always thought Amarillo Slim was one of the most overrated players of all time. Without his table talk he's just an average poker player.

Brunson is clearly one of the greatest of all time as he is still doing excellent today and at 70+ years of age.

[2+2 wannabe]

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I've read a lot of poker bios/history stuff and it never ceases to amaze me how these guys assume that the only 6 guys in the world that played NLHE at that time are still the best players in history.

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Sorry, I was wrong. Moss + Brunson + and Amarillo Slim = 3 were all fish.

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you're missing the other 3 non-fish sir....the ones everyone's heard about....

P.S. you misspelled child molestor

1990 deserves an honorable mention. 5th-9th place were all notable players: Berry Johnston, Al Krux, Rod Peate, John Bonetti, and Stu Ungar. Ironically though ESPN only showed play when it got down to the top 4 players.

[betgo]

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I've read a lot of poker bios/history stuff and it never ceases to amaze me how these guys assume that the only 6 guys in the world that played NLHE at that time are still the best players in history.

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Sorry, I was wrong. Moss + Brunson + and Amarillo Slim = 3 were all fish.

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you're missing the other 3 non-fish sir....the ones everyone's heard about....

P.S. you misspelled child molestor

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I just mentioned those 3, because they are obvious nonfish. The whole field was very strong. Because it was NLHE, there may have been some strong stud players from NYC who didn't participate. They probably weren't the 6 strongest players in the world, but they were 6 of the strongest players in the world.

As for Amarillo Slim, between the child molesting and andle shooting / cheating his reputation seems to be taking a dive. He seems like a typical hustler type with a lot of charm but not really a nice guy.

[Tuds75]

1st: Jack Strauss (Underated but highly respected fearless player. maybe best bluffer ever 2 WSOP braclets)
2nd: Dewey Tomko (2 runner-up WSOP ME finishes, 2.7 million in tournament earnings, 3 braclets)
3rd: Barry Johnston ('86 WSOP champion, 1.9 million in tourney wins, 5 braclets)
4th: Doyle Brunson (we all know him, 10 braclets)
5th: A.J. Meyers (2 braclets)
6th: Dody Roach (2 braclets)
7th: Buster Jackson (1 braclet)
8th: Sailor Roberts ('75 WSOP ME champ, 2 braclets)
9th: Carl Cannon (I got nothing)

Stats:
* 4 of 9 players were WSOP ME champions
* 3 total runner-ups in the WSOP ME
* 8 of 9 had won braclets
* 27 total braclets won

Just because a player is not well know doesn't make them a bad player and vice versa, and known poker player doesn't make them a legend.

'80, '85 and '88 are STRONG Tables, but This is the best WSOP Final Table EVER.

Tuds

Wow, Without reading others thoughts this is a tough choice. I have to go with 1988, 1981, then 1980.. Can't help feel like im disrespecting Brunson and Moss oh well.

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2005 Kanter Hachem Black Barch....nuff said

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How can you forget Danaman in this list lol

[DarthIgnurnt]

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I've read a lot of poker bios/history stuff and it never ceases to amaze me how these guys assume that the only 6 guys in the world that played NLHE at that time are still the best players in history.

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Sorry, I was wrong. Moss, Brunson, and Amarillo Slim were all fish.

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LOL ... it's not clear to me where I implied that these guys were "fish". In fact I said this table was the first one I thought of as the greatest of all time.

My point is that these guys tend to be (over)glorified because they were pioneers, and literally the only guys that played at the time. All of them were talented players, and clearly Brunson must be in any discussion of the greatest ever (and on the 1980 final table, my choice here).

This argument will inevitably lead to the same point as the greatest boxer, basketball player, baseball player of all time discussion. Certain players dominated their eras but would be average at best in the current one (like George Mikan and Amarillo Slim), and certain players are timeless, all-time greats (like Wilt Chamberlain, and Doyle Brunson).

Don't know if it would be considered "the best", but 2000's final table was decently stacked-

- Ferguson (1st)
- Cloutier (2nd)
- Hassan Habib (4th)
- McManus (5th)
- Jeff Shulman (7th)

[TheJackal]

1987, 1999-2001 for me at least.