The best poker player ever

Av8tor009 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 07:20 PM

it's come to my attention that many of the good players either have the first name Phil or the last name Nguyen. This leads me to believe that if a poker player by the name of Phil Nguyen was to come into the poker world, he would be the best player in the history of the game, win 10 bracelets in one year, and be the first to get 3 consecutive main event wins. thoughts?....

the alex · #2 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 07:36 PM

Poker's not a sport. There is no best.

Announced Tilt · #3 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 07:40 PM

Alex, I don't really like that comparison. In sports, there is no true best either. There can be bests at each position, which in my mind is very similar to one poker player being the best at say PLO. However, poker is not a sport in that, the best players in a given sport will be in the pro leagues, while the best poker player doesn't necessarily have to be a "pro."

Av8tor009 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 07:42 PM

wait... since when did you get ahead of me in post count?

the alex · #5 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 07:43 PM

Nope, there's no best in sports. My point exactly. There are stats to compare athletes, none for poker. You can NEVER even assemble 15 that are undisputedly Top 20. You can do that in sports.

Av8tor009 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 07:59 PM

the undisputed top poker players
----------------------------------------
Doyle Brunson
T.J. Cloutier
Phil Hellmuth
Johnny Chan
Stu Unger
Johnny Moss
Amarillo Slim
Chip Reese
Gus Hansen

Marm · #7 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the alex

Nope, there's no best in sports. My point exactly. There are stats to compare athletes, none for poker. You can NEVER even assemble 15 that are undisputedly Top 20. You can do that in sports.

was that a typo 15/20, or a point your trying to make?

Your right though, there will never be one 'best' player.... but I think you can find a list of 'best players', but you really need to compare apples and apples. like saying the best tourny players around... online tournys, live big event players, etc, you really need to specificy what catergory. Its like if you were goign to assemble an "all history" team in any sport thered be a list of players to pick from,

nu2mdwst2 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-29-2005, 10:06 PM

I think Phil Nguyen would be one hell of a player

the alex · #9 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 03:18 AM

I'm saying that... Let's look at baseball. If you're looking for the Top 20 or even the Top 30 non-pitchers, since 1940, you CANNOT exclude:[list][*]Mantle[*]Mays[*]Bonds[*]Rose[*]F. Robinson[*]McCovey[*]Schmidt[*]Killebrew[*]Gwynn[*]Aaron[*]Musial[*]Yaz[*]Ripken[*]Henderson[*]McGwire

You can give me 15 guys that, you think, are FOR SURE as Top 30 poker players and dispute 1 of my 15 for Top 30. Difference is that I have numbers to back them all up. You don't. There are no stats on cash games. PT doesn't follow "The Big Game" and not every tournament is on record.

I'll say it right now. Roll the tape.

No one can put together an argument calling any of my 15 guys out of the Top 30 non-pitcher baseball players of all time. No one can unarguably come up with 10 people in the Top 25 of all poker players.

Stop athleticizing poker. It's not a sport and the cash games are not recorded by STATS INC. Sorry. Bad thread.

Av8tor009 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-30-2005, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the alex

Sorry. Bad thread.

sorry, bad comment... this thread has nothing to do about who the best poker player is and who gives a shit about sports?