Sometimes Winning Poker Players Are Losers
In golf for years Phil Michelson carried the label of best golfer never to win a major. Now that he has won perhaps Sergio Garcia carries that label today. So let’s take a look at who are the best poker players never to win a big event.
In golf there are four grand slam events, called the majors. What is a major event in poker? Over the years this has been defined as any tournament with a $5,000 buy in, and over 100 players. Many WSOP bracelets are earned in events that aren’t considered major poker events. So, let’s list a few of the best who haven’t accomplished this feat.
Patrik Antonius fits on this short list easily. Many consider him as one of the best high stakes cash game players around. He started playing some tournaments in 2005. In a short time, he has collected over $2 million in cash.
One of his closest calls in a major event was a 3rd place finish in the $10,000 pot-limit omaha World Championship WSOP event. Patrik can be seen playing the biggest cash games both live, and online.
Next, we need to look at Todd Brunson, son of poker legend Doyle Brunson. Todd is also a cash game expert. It is rumored that he has won countless millions playing in huge cash games.
He has won a WSOP event, and has the bracelet to prove it. This event wasn’t a big enough event to qualify as a major. If he played enough tournaments you would bet on him to get a major win, but he always seems to be playing cash games.
David Pham probably stands alone as the best player never to have won a major poker event. “The Dragon” has won well over $7 million in his career. He, unlike the other two, is primarily a tournament player. He plays a very high volume of tournaments every year.
He has 29 career wins to go with his 2 WSOP bracelets, and over 170 cashes. In 2007 alone he won 4 events, and over $1.8 million in cash. It seems amazing that a major tournament win has eluded him.
David has been playing a lot of big tournaments for years. This makes it even more surprising that he hasn’t cracked a win in a major event. Being more of a tournament pro, it seems only a matter of time before he can claim a victory in a major poker event.
In one way it’s getting easier to win a big one. As poker entry fees increase, there are more and more opportunities to win a major event. But, making it more difficult is the size of the fields in these events. Also, as the money has increased, a lot of very good players are fighting for these prizes.
When you have more players, it is harder to win. This is why the best players in the world don’t win all the WSOP events. When you have to beat a thousand plus players, no one has that great of a chance. While poker is a game of skill, in the short run of one tournament, luck plays a huge role.
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