Our favourite pros

Having been exposed to the world of poker almost 8 years ago; playing it, understanding it, strategy,  analysis, personal highs and lows and of course the stories that come out of it all make for an almost feverish obsession with the game.

Cricket is a big sport in India in fact it would not be a far stretch to to call it the sport that anyone really cares about in this country. Until of course an Abhinav Bindra scoops Olympic glory or the quite tireless Leander Paes (also an Olympic medallist) bringing home yet another trophy helping keep India's name on the global sporting map. Till about 8 years ago I was singularly obsessed with cricket (as a viewer not player... I am physically quite unco-ordinated that way) to the point that I would take days off work to watch Test matches. Of course over time my interest in cricket has waned to the point of casual interest rather than the previous fanaticism about it.
The top spot of course has been taken over by poker. From that first video of the World Poker Tour that I'd seen to devouring books and reading articles on various websites, the thirst for knowledge continues. Speaking of the internet, the information that is available on the millions of sites out in cyberspace is a godsend to genuinely interested players and enthusiasts who are looking to improve on their game and read up on their poker heroes.

And when you talk of cricketing heroes, Sachin Tendulkar is probably the most popular player for most cricket fans. Many admire M.S Dhoni, Virender Sehwag and the younger, more dashing lot like Yuvraj Singh. While I like most of these players, I don't idolise them anymore. In my mind the sporting heroes have shifted from cricket players to poker players. I will talk about three pros who we admire tremendously here at the IPC. It is our sincere hope that someday one (or all... might as well go the whole hog right?!) of them will play in the India Poker Championship.

Phil Hellmuth - With 11 WSOP bracelets and of course a win in the Main Event pretty much seals the deal as far as Hellmuth being probably the greatest no limit holdem player in the history of the game. And case you forget that, Phil is more than happy to remind you. His reads are what are incredibly impressive to me. I love the way he breaks down a hand and literally calls out what his opponent has almost to the T. In the recent years Phil's image of being the Poker Brat gets more coverage than his game itself but make no mistake... This is not a man you want to mess with on the felt.

Phil Ivey - The 'other' Phil right now is the best poker player in the world. Even our other favorites mentioned in this post have admitted that Ivey is the man post his final table appearance a few months ago. Probably one of, if not, the best poker faces in the business, Ivey is absolutely fantastic when it comes to betting the right amount. He knows exactly how much to put into the pot to get an answer about what his oppoent is holding. His precise understanding of how much to bet is also what makes a lot of players pay him off when he does have the goods.

Daniel Negreanu - Probably the diametric opposite of Helmuth's behaviour on a poker table, Daniel Negreanu is a poker player who is also a nice guy. He's friendly, affable, love to joke around and has a super sharp poker mind beneath that cap he wears. Like Helmuth, Daniel too has this superb ability of being able to read what his opponent is holding and has used to his advantage time and again. Being the smart guy that he is, Negraneu has realised that he has now become a brand and almost goes out of his way to promote himself albeit in a classy manner. Negreanu is only second to Ivey when it comes to all time career earnings.