CistaCista
Visionary
Silver Level
Who has the best main event credentials of all time? Various players are often credited with having the best series of results, and there is no precise and unbiased way of ranking them. Nevertheless we can try so I decided to make a set of lists of the best credentials ever, based on percentiles.
Only results in the best 10% and cashing are included.
If you win a tournament of 100 players you are in the 1% percentile. If you beat a field of 200 players, you are in the best 0.5% percentile. It follows that in a tournament of just 100 players, you cannot be in the 0.5% percentile. For this reason, I rank older results higher in case of ties.
I like these lists a lot. Newhouse, Harrington, Chan, Negreanu(!) and Brunson come out as top dogs.
I am surprised at the humble placings of Phil Ivey. I am thrilled with how Daniel Negreanu has finally shot to the top of the rankings. And impressed with how the three wins of Stu Ungar are still flying high. At the end of the day though, what really shocks me is the fact that Dan Harrington has three times beat 99.63% of the field. Truly iconic.
Oh, and of course - Johnny Chan 1987-1989. Johnny CHAN.
Two results
1. Mark Newhouse (twice in the best 0.14% of the field) 2013-2014 STREAK
2. Carlos Mortensen (best 0.16%) 2001-2013
3. Ben Lamb (best 0.22%) 2009-2011
4. Scotty Nguyen (best 0.29%) 1998-2007
5. Jamie Robbins (best 0.29%) 2009-2012
6. William Thorsen (best 0.30%) 2006-2010
7. Leif Force (best 0.31%) 2006-2014
8. Anton Morgenstern (best 0.34%) 2013-2015
9. Dan Harrington (best 0.36%) 2003-2004 STREAK
10. Phil Ivey (best 0.36%) 2005-2009
11. Bryan Devonshire (0.37%) 2011-2014
12. Steve Gee (best 0.38%) 2012-2013 STREAK
(f) Maria Ho (best 1.2%) 2007-2014
Three results
1. Dan Harrington (three times in the best 0.37% of the field) 1995-2004
2. Phil Hellmuth (best 0.82%) 1989-2008
3. Mike Matusow (best 0.98%) 2001-2008
4. Johnny Chan (best 1.1%) 1987-1989 STREAK
5. Phil Ivey (best 1.2%) 2003-2009
6. Eric Buchman (best 1.3%) 2006-2012
7. Stu Ungar (best 1.4%) 1980-1997
8. T.J. Cloutier (best 1.4%) 1985-2000
9. Huck Seed (best 1.5%) 1996-2007
10. Allen Cunningham (best 1.7%) 2006-2011
11. Marcel Luske (best 1.7%) 2003-2012
12. Joseph Cheong (best 1.8%) 2010-2012 STREAK
(f) Maria Ho (best 4.9%) 2007-2014
Only results in the best 10% and cashing are included.
If you win a tournament of 100 players you are in the 1% percentile. If you beat a field of 200 players, you are in the best 0.5% percentile. It follows that in a tournament of just 100 players, you cannot be in the 0.5% percentile. For this reason, I rank older results higher in case of ties.
I like these lists a lot. Newhouse, Harrington, Chan, Negreanu(!) and Brunson come out as top dogs.
I am surprised at the humble placings of Phil Ivey. I am thrilled with how Daniel Negreanu has finally shot to the top of the rankings. And impressed with how the three wins of Stu Ungar are still flying high. At the end of the day though, what really shocks me is the fact that Dan Harrington has three times beat 99.63% of the field. Truly iconic.
Oh, and of course - Johnny Chan 1987-1989. Johnny CHAN.
Two results
1. Mark Newhouse (twice in the best 0.14% of the field) 2013-2014 STREAK
2. Carlos Mortensen (best 0.16%) 2001-2013
3. Ben Lamb (best 0.22%) 2009-2011
4. Scotty Nguyen (best 0.29%) 1998-2007
5. Jamie Robbins (best 0.29%) 2009-2012
6. William Thorsen (best 0.30%) 2006-2010
7. Leif Force (best 0.31%) 2006-2014
8. Anton Morgenstern (best 0.34%) 2013-2015
9. Dan Harrington (best 0.36%) 2003-2004 STREAK
10. Phil Ivey (best 0.36%) 2005-2009
11. Bryan Devonshire (0.37%) 2011-2014
12. Steve Gee (best 0.38%) 2012-2013 STREAK
(f) Maria Ho (best 1.2%) 2007-2014
Three results
1. Dan Harrington (three times in the best 0.37% of the field) 1995-2004
2. Phil Hellmuth (best 0.82%) 1989-2008
3. Mike Matusow (best 0.98%) 2001-2008
4. Johnny Chan (best 1.1%) 1987-1989 STREAK
5. Phil Ivey (best 1.2%) 2003-2009
6. Eric Buchman (best 1.3%) 2006-2012
7. Stu Ungar (best 1.4%) 1980-1997
8. T.J. Cloutier (best 1.4%) 1985-2000
9. Huck Seed (best 1.5%) 1996-2007
10. Allen Cunningham (best 1.7%) 2006-2011
11. Marcel Luske (best 1.7%) 2003-2012
12. Joseph Cheong (best 1.8%) 2010-2012 STREAK
(f) Maria Ho (best 4.9%) 2007-2014