Recently Jaime Gold’s hold on the all time money leaders in poker was broken. A while back we talked about the impending change in the rankings and sure enough two players were able to pass Ari.. (er, sorry recently watched Entourage) Jamie Gold. Those players were Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey. Oddly enough, those are two players who many poker fans would name as the best players. Now, those poker fans can cite something to support their stance.

The list is an odd list with Main Event winners scattered along with all time greats. It is the greatest collection of one hit wonders and established pros. Three of the top four are Negreanu, Ivey and Hellmuth.

Here’s the list (not adjusted for inflation)

1st Daniel Negreanu $ 12,427,047
2nd Phil Ivey $ 12,236,714
3rd Jamie Gold $ 12,198,041
4th Phil Hellmuth Jr $ 10,926,521
5th Joe Hachem $ 10,856,216
6th Scotty Nguyen $ 10,705,581
7th Peter Eastgate $ 10,630,471
8th Allen Cunningham $ 10,386,211
9th Erik Seidel $ 9,793,375
10th T.J. Cloutier $ 9,776,099
11th John Juanda $ 9,673,745
12th Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen $ 9,217,287
13th Carlos Mortensen $ 8,853,753
14th Joe Cada $ 8,574,649
15th Jerry Yang $ 8,263,393

Joe Cada makes the cut nipping Jerry Yang. Above them are established pros like Mortensen, Men Nguyen, Cloutier, Seidel, Cunningham (or clever piggy his online poker name), and Scotty Nguyen. Joe Hachem, Peter Eastgate, and Jaime Gold round out the Super Lottery World Series of Poker Main Event Champions List.

What is interesting and compelling is if you adjust the list for inflation. Suddenly, these old workhorses like Cloutier, who made their money over decades of playing experience, move way up the list. TJ Cloutier shifts all the way up from 10th to 4th. Phil Hellmuth Jr. is no longer playing second fiddle to one-timer bracelet winner Jaime Gold, only Negreanu has made more than him. Goes to show, despite his youthful exuberance Hellmuth is less a junior and more an old hand.

Perhaps even more interesting is when a new name pops on the list. Outside of the top 15 comes a poker legend and WSOP back-to-back champion; Johnny “The Orient Express” Chan. Chan dominated poker in a three year stretch like no other. Sure, he’s had some empty years recently but it’s hard to believe his winnings aren’t among the highest. No telling about his losses but that’s another list entirely.

Also joining the list is the other face from the Texas Hold ‘Em No Limit Mount Rushmore (well he’s a mixed games expert but he’s still front in center at the Main Event with Chan and Hellmuth) Doyle Brunson. Texas Dolly might have written the rules to Texas Hold ‘Em Poker as he was playing poker before there were cameras small enough to be hole cams. Some would say he was playing poker before there were cameras, but we wouldn’t, old jokes are too easy even if we all hope to one day be the victim of them.

Brunson, Chan, and Hellmuth on one list makes more sense. The winnings should be adjusted to reflect the value of each era. Case in point, the Main Event has been a 10k buy-in for years. At one point the fields might have been smaller but the 10k meant a great deal more to the players than it does today.

(adjusted for inflation)

1st Daniel Negreanu $ 13,824,844
2nd Phil Hellmuth Jr $ 13,794,993
3rd Phil Ivey $ 13,295,601
4th T.J. Cloutier $ 13,060,106
5th Jamie Gold $ 12,958,483
6th Scotty Nguyen $ 12,116,046
7th Joe Hachem $ 11,866,049
8th Johnny Chan $ 11,858,843
9th Erik Seidel $ 11,638,547
10th Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen $ 11,370,716
11th Allen Cunningham $ 11,321,897
12th John Juanda $ 10,693,221
13th Peter Eastgate $ 10,486,108
14th Carlos Mortensen $ 9,751,701
15th Doyle Brunson $ 9,632,188