There are
other ways to measure success within the poker world. Based on some, a
participant’s whole winnings are the one true indicator of their capability, whereas
others consider that main titles are simply as necessary.
Within the latter
group, particularly vocal are those that suppose that WSOP bracelets are indicative
of 1’s general talents.
There’s a lot
to be mentioned on that matter, particularly since many nice gamers don’t
notably care about bracelets or event poker in any respect, for that matter,
however that’s a dialogue for an additional day.
On this article,
we’ll be 10 of the most effective poker gamers on the market who nonetheless don’t have
a WSOP bracelet for one purpose or one other.
Dan Smith
Among the best poker gamers hailing from the US, Dan Smith is a reputation that many is likely to be stunned to see on this checklist.
With nearly $38 million in event cashes, Smith is at the moment ranked 6th on the worldwide All Time Cash Checklist.
What’s extra, a couple of quarter of that quantity got here from the World Collection occasions, with $4 million attributed to his 3rd place end within the 2018 Large One for One Drop occasion.
Smith had a number of extra shut calls, ending runner-up within the 2016 Excessive Curler for One Drop and inserting third 4 extra occasions.
There’s little question in anybody’s thoughts if the event specialist ought to have a bracelet and even a number of of them based mostly on his efficiency.
Dan Smith is definitely probably the greatest poker gamers alive, with a number of wins in EPT and WPT occasions.
It in all probability
gained’t be lengthy earlier than he provides a WSOP win to his spectacular poker résumé however so
far, the poker gods have denied him the consideration.
Sam Trickett
Whereas he’s no
longer within the highlight, Sam Trickett was one of the recognizable
faces in poker. Hailing from the UK, Trickett jumped on the poker increase
bandwagon and rode all of it the best way to large success.
Over time, the Brit has amassed event winnings near $22 million.
On prime of this, he was an everyday staple in quite a few high-stakes money video games and had partnerships with standard poker manufacturers, so it’s honest to imagine he amassed a good internet price general.
In fact, Trickett’s finest end result by far was his runner-up end within the inaugural Large One for One Drop event in 2012.
Regardless of shedding to Esfandiari within the last skirmish, Trickett took residence over $10 million for his efforts.
However, like Smith
and others on this checklist, Trickett can also be but to say a WSOP bracelet.
Whereas he made a
few WSOP last tables in his profession and acquired heads up two extra occasions, he simply
couldn’t shut the deal.
Lately,
Sam Trickett hasn’t been practically as energetic within the reside poker scene, and chasing
bracelets doesn’t seem to be a precedence for him.
Nonetheless, with so
a lot expertise beneath his belt and a strong bankroll as well, he may be part of the
ranks of bracelet winners sooner or later.
Maria Ho
A poker participant,
TV presenter, and one of many prime poker personalities, Maria Ho can also be nonetheless on
the hunt to win her first WSOP bracelet.
This does come
as a little bit of a shock, given she’s been very energetic on the event circuit
typically, however it’s merely the case of unhealthy luck in necessary spots.
Maria has over $4.2 million in reside event earnings, and he or she’s cashed in 69 WSOP occasions on the time of writing this text.
So, it’s honest to say she’s no stranger to the World Collection.
Her finest alternative came to visit a decade in the past, in 2011, when she discovered herself heads up for the title in a $5,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em occasion.
Sadly, she couldn’t fairly shut the deal as she was stopped in her tracks by Allen Bari.
Ho has had
a number of different spectacular finishes within the WSOP, together with 6th place in
the 2017 WSOP Europe Principal Occasion. Her whole World Collection winnings are in extra
of $1.7 million.
If I have been to
wager, I’d safely put my cash on Maria Ho profitable a bracelet within the subsequent few
years.
She has ardour
and dedication to the sport and really enjoys the grind, so it’s extra a matter of
“when” than “if”.
Steve O’Dwyer
One other participant who
by some means doesn’t personal a bracelet is Steve O’Dwyer.
Typically dubbed the
“Furry Beast” for his trademark lengthy hair and beard, O’Dwyer actually is a beast
on the tables, having gathered simply shy of $31 million in reside winnings and
over $7 million on-line.
What’s much more
spectacular is that O’Dwyer’s largest single money win is round $1.9 million, so
he didn’t “luckbox” one or two tournaments to get to those numbers.
As an alternative, he’s
had many wins and top-three finishes through the years, displaying he’s a real
grinder and a correct “beast” to be averted on the inexperienced felt.
Regardless of this
spectacular résumé, although, he’s nonetheless in need of a WSOP bracelet.
Taking a look at his stats, O’Dwyer has had 19 WSOP cashes, including as much as simply over $700,000, so he clearly wasn’t targeted an excessive amount of on enjoying the World Collection.
That is in all probability partly why he’s nonetheless not gained a bracelet.
His résumé lists
over two dozen wins in numerous tournaments, together with an EPT title from 2013.
He’s additionally had
shut to twenty runner-up finishes and numerous last tables all through his lengthy
and very profitable profession.
Isaac Haxton
Isaac “Ike”
Haxton is a reputation that the majority poker followers on the market will know immediately.
Whereas he by no means
acquired the identical quantity of media consideration as another gamers on this checklist,
Haxton’s outcomes spoke for themselves, making him one of many superstars of the
poker world.
Up to now, Ike has gathered $27.7 million in reside event earnings, focusing totally on numerous high-roller and tremendous high-roller occasions.
With that in thoughts, it’s maybe much less stunning that Haxton nonetheless doesn’t have a bracelet to his identify.
Nonetheless, the
American had a number of respectable photographs at a bracelet through the years.
All the best way again in 2009, he completed runner-up within the $40,000 Annual Occasion.
In 2017, he got here shut once more, ultimately ending in third place within the prestigious Poker Gamers Championship event.
If Haxton actually
units his thoughts to it, it’s simple to see him profitable one or a number of bracelets in
the following few years.
For the time
being, he appears targeted extra on excessive buy-in occasions the place fields are smaller and
prizes larger, which in all probability is smart for his bankroll.
There’s nonetheless
loads of time left to fret in regards to the legacy.
Jake Schindler
Whereas Jake
Schindler will not be a vastly well-known identify in wider circles of poker followers,
there isn’t any doubt he is among the finest event gamers round.
Hailing from
Pennsylvania, US, Schindler has amassed over $28 million in reside event
winnings within the span of a decade.
Like many younger
execs, Schindler makes a speciality of high-roller occasions, and the actual fact he’s discovered so
a lot success in such a troublesome competitors speaks volumes about his poker enjoying
talents.
How he nonetheless doesn’t have a WSOP bracelet is a little bit of a thriller, however it’s in all probability simply variance.
Schindler does
have a WSCOP Circuit ring to his identify, and he made a number of last tables of WSOP
tournaments in recent times, so it’s only a matter of time earlier than the celebrities
lastly line up for him and he efficiently closes the deal in one in every of these.
Maurice Hawkins
Should you’re only a
informal poker fan, it’s probably you don’t know a lot about Maurice Hawkins.
But when we’re
speaking about gamers who don’t have a WSOP bracelet, this identify merely have to be
included within the checklist.
At first look,
Hawkins has barely over $4 million in event earnings, which is a good
end result however hardly too spectacular in comparison with different names on this checklist.
So, why ought to
he get a spot in entrance of so many different gamers with comparable outcomes?
The reply is
easy.
It’s as a result of
this man has 14 WSOP Circuit rings and nearly 150 cashes in WSOP and WSOPC
occasions.
If there’s ever
been a prototype of a reside event grinder, that is it. Hawkins lives and
breathes poker, and he’s closely targeted on all issues WSOP.
Clearly, Hawkins doesn’t have as massive of a bankroll as different gamers on this checklist, so he largely performs in larger-field, smaller buy-in occasions.
Profitable a bracelet isn’t any simple process no matter how good a participant one is likely to be.
One factor is
sure, although. Hawkins enjoys enjoying poker and he’s not going anyplace, so
eventually, he’ll get to adorn his wrist with a coveted bracelet.
In spite of everything, he’s
already acquired extra rings than fingers, so it’s time to begin choosing another
kinds of jewellery.
Christoph Vogelsang
Should you suppose
in regards to the high-stakes event scene at this time, the primary affiliation that comes
to thoughts is Germany.
The nation has
produced many succesful younger gamers who’ve been crushing it on the reside
circuit, taking down numerous titles in tournaments with six-figure buy-ins.
Christoph
Vogelsang is among the extra profitable members of this group, with $25.5
million in reside event winnings gathered over the span of simply seven
years.
The younger German
has had fairly a little bit of success in World Collection occasions as nicely, with about
one-third of his internet price coming from WSOP cashes.
Essentially the most
vital one got here in 2014 when his third-place end within the $1MM Large One
for One Drop netted him simply shy of $4.5 million.
This wasn’t Vogelsang’s
largest win up to now, although.
A number of years in the past,
he triumphed within the very sturdy subject of the 2017 $300,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler
Bowl Las Vegas, bagging $6 million.
The German
phenom has constructed a powerful and envious poker profession in such a brief span,
however a WSOP bracelet continues to elude him.
He’s actually
acquired the talents and the bankroll, so all that’s lacking is a bit of excellent run
when it issues, and I’m certain Vogelsang can be part of the elite membership of WSOP winners
within the close to future.
Rainer Kempe
Persevering with in
the identical vein, the penultimate identify on our checklist is Rainer Kempe.
One other
consultant of the German poker faculty, Kempe is a extremely profitable
high-roller however with no recorded WSOP wins up to now.
Kempe’s whole event take is over $21.6 million, with two single largest cashes coming from Tremendous Excessive Curler Bowl occasions in Las Vegas and Macau (in 2016 and 2018).
These two scores account for a couple of third of his whole winnings.
However the German
has had many extra wins in excessive buy-in occasions through the years, so he’s undoubtedly
not a one-trick pony.
So far as his
WSOP efficiency is anxious, Kempe didn’t have a lot success on the sequence in
the previous.
With 48 cashes,
good for about $1.3 million, the closest he got here to profitable a bracelet was
through the 50th Anniversary WSOP in 2019, when he completed 4th
in a $600 PLO occasion.
Taking a look at
Kempe’s monitor document, it’s attention-grabbing to notice he doesn’t draw back from small
buy-in WSOP occasions.
He’s performed in
fairly a number of four-figure buy-in tournaments, which isn’t that widespread for
high-rollers of his caliber, suggesting the German want to seize at
least one bracelet sooner relatively than later.
Thomas Marchese
Wrapping up our
checklist of the most effective poker gamers with no WSOP bracelet, is US-born Thomas
Marchese, whoses present document exhibits $19.2 million in reside event
earnings.
Like many others
on this checklist, Marchese has discovered lots of success enjoying in high-roller
occasions, constructing his bankroll and confidence on the tables.
With over a
dozen seven-figure scores, he belongs to the highest echelons of the poker world.
However, just like the
relaxation, Marchese nonetheless misses a WSOP bracelet to finish his skilled
profile.
Along with
No-Restrict Maintain’em, Marchese can also be a Pot Restrict Omaha specialist, and he proved
that a number of occasions on the World Collection.
In 2015, a
bracelet was inside his attain when he made all of it the best way to the ultimate two in a
$1,500 PLO occasion, however ultimately, he needed to be content material with a runner-up end.
That shut name didn’t discourage Marchese, although, as he continues to grind away at his opponents and eventually, a WSOP bracelet is more likely to discover its approach onto his wrist.
Lead picture: Twitter/TournPokerEdge
Elliyot