Know The Top Controversial Poker Players in The World

Poker is a game where you must beat your opponents to win, just like in other sports. The unique thing about poker is that you can be fit. If you are good at reading your opponents and have the right skills, you can win this game of the mind. The same tricks can also work in online poker. Some outstanding players use clever tricks, sometimes even not-so-nice ones, that make people upset. They do surprising, exciting, or unfair things, making people argue and get mad, both the public and other players. In the past, many top players have gotten into trouble because of these things they do. Here is a list of the top controversial players who landed in controversies.

1. Antanas Guoga AKA Tony G

Antanas Guoga, also called Tony G, is a successful poker player. He won a big poker tournament in 2005 and got a prize of $456,822. He has won a lot of money from poker tournaments, about $11,295,296, according to Hendon Mob, but he still needs to win a special prize called a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. He also liked to trash talk right in between a poker game, irritating the opponents. What's interesting about Tony G is that he's known more for his bad behavior than his playing skills. He does things that make people mad when he plays poker, which gets him into trouble. He tries to intentionally annoy other players by making fun of them, being mean, and even bullying them. He keeps doing this even when he wins.

2. Vanessa Selbst

Vanessa Selbst holds some impressive records. In 2014, she became the first and only woman to reach the top of the Global Poker Index (GPI) rankings. She's also the sole female player with three WSOP bracelets in open events. Winning the North American Poker Tour back-to-back in 2010 and 2011 boosted her fame. She's won more than $11,906,246 from live tournaments. With such achievements, taking risks is part of the game. Selbst plays daringly, often using bold bluffs. But the controversy doesn't stop there. It's how she acts when her bluffs fail. When opponents figure out her strategy, she reacts unexpectedly—swearing, verbally attacking players, and even trying to use emotions to her advantage. Though she's eager for victory, she sometimes loses her temper quickly after a loss. Despite her successes, her behavior has led to controversies and questions about her actions.

3. Phil Hellmuth

Phil Hellmuth is a big name in poker, just like Tony G. He's known for talking a lot during games and causing controversies. Besides being good at poker, he holds a world record with 16 WSOP bracelets, a prize no one else has yet beaten. He even got into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007. He's won $28,430,994 from tournaments (until Jan 2023). People call him the 'Poker Brat' because of how he acts at tables. He wants others to do what he says and could be nicer to opponents if things go his way.

Once, the "Poker Brat" got angry and started yelling at Campbell. He kept shouting and using bad words for a long time. He stopped shouting when Kuzmin bet all his chips. Surprisingly, Kuzmin had the better cards and won in the end. After the game, many influential people in the poker world, like Shaun Deeb, Ike Haxton, and Justin Bonomo, said that WSOP should punish Hellmuth or tell him he was wrong. Although Hellmuth wasn't fined, he apologized on Twitter and other poker websites. He admitted he was wrong and apologized to the players hurt by what happened. He uses bluffing like other players, but when his bluffing doesn't work, he makes a big fuss. His behavior sometimes seems childish, making him a hot conversation topic.

4. Ivan Freitez

Ivan Freitez is a successful poker player from Venezuela who's been playing in live tournaments since 2007. His highlight was in 2011 when he won the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event and got €1.5 Million as the top prize. While Freitez is mainly known for his good behavior, one incident made him controversial. It was a single tricky move he pulled off. During the 2011 EPT Final in Madrid, Freitez had 65 as his cards, and his opponent, Eugene Yanayt, had KQ. The cards on the table were 5 3 K 5 6, giving Freitez a perfect hand. He acted like he was going to call but then raised the bet. He even said, "No speak English!" to confuse everyone. The person watching the game warned Yanayt that Freitez was bluffing, but unfortunately, Yanayt didn't listen and fell for the trick.

5. Dan Bilzerian

When it comes to poker problems, Dan Bilzerian is a big topic. He's the first person we're talking about. According to Hendon Mob, he only won $36,626 from poker tournaments. He got this money in 2009 from the WSOP Main Event, where he finished in 108th place. Interestingly, in 2014, Bilzerian said he made $100 Million from poker. After that, he stopped playing with the experts. You can learn more about it by clicking a link. He's known for being bold, but experts see him as more of an amateur. Poker player Daniel Negreanu even called him a 'trust fund baby.' Some say he stopped playing in big tournaments because he knew he couldn't beat experienced players. Instead, he plays private games for cash. Bilzerian's sneaky plan is to play against rich people who aren't pros. This might be why he's so rich. Some think he got most of his money from his dad, a controversial businessman known for tax fraud who worked on Wall Street.

These players have left a permanent mark on the game, from the infamous trash talk of Phil Hellmuth and Tony G to the polarizing antics of Vanessa Selbst and the enigmatic Dan Bilzerian. Despite such controversial players, online poker is becoming ragingly popular. Every player has to follow the algorithm and can't even use desperate means to win a hand. Virtual interaction between players makes this medium worthy of enjoying the thrill of poker and earning cash rewards.