Online Poker Player Rankings

Everyone who plays online poker has a couple of goals in mind when they first start up playing. The first is to make money (which is obvious), and the second is to become the best online poker player on the world wide web. Both of these are very difficult to achieve but they can be done. There are a lot of players that are making six figure incomes playing online poker and I'm like many of you wondering what it takes to hit that extra gear and take the next level. I am a big fan of online poker, and I like to check out sites and players, and see who is the best online poker player in the world. The best website that I have come across and one that I am constantly checking out is PocketFives.com. I give these guys huge props for what they do, and for establishing themselves such a tremendous online poker resource. If you want to become a recognized player in online poker check out pocketfives ranking system and see if you can get your name up on top of that leaderboard.

First off, the guys over at PocketFives go through a tremendous amount of detail to come up with their ranking system. They not only continually check out the tournament leaderboards at all the major sites but they also collect opinions on fellow players from the most respected online poker players in the game today. This in itself is a huge honor for some players, as that is what everybody wants, and earns for, and that is the respect of your fellow online poker players. This is just where these guys begin. Again, if you are looking to become the best player in online poker today and you want to see your name on the PocketFives Leaderboard, then you had better follow the ranking guidelines that they have put forth.

The first thing that they look for is to determine whether or not you are the next Mariano Riviera. For those that aren't baseball fans that means are you able to close the deal when you get the opportunity. If and when you get to a final table in a tournament, are you able to shut down your opponents and come out victorious. If so, this will go a long way in establishing yourself in the rankings. Secondly, they want to see how often you separate yourself from those large fields that you enter, and make it to the final table. Not only does this help your ranking, but it also helps in establishing your bankroll.

Another major factor that the staff at PocketFives looks for is how often you play online poker tournaments. You will not get ranked if you play in a couple of tournaments, you have to be a frequent player. This is the way it should be, and I really like the way these guys go about the ranking system. For the golf fans out there, this is how the PGA tour does their rankings as well. They base the rankings on number of tournaments played and the strength of the field in that tournament, and where you finished. This is the best, and only way it can be done.

The last factor they look at is the size of the prize pool that you play in. If you only frequent the $11 buy-in on Party poker you will not see your name anywhere near this list. They want you to enter atleast the $100 buy-in tournaments, and that is only fair because that is where all the good players play. Remember if you want to be the best you have to beat the best! Now the guys putting together this ranking system are not just guys working for pocketfives, they are regular players in online poker tournaments, and they are well respected in the online poker world. The tournament sites that they put the major focus on is PokerStars, UltimateBet, PartyPoker, ParadisePoker, and Full Tilt. So, if you are not playing at one of these sites and you want to get ranked you might want to make the switch, as this is where the best action is being played out.

Here is the latest top five ranked online poker players:

Thanks to PocketFives for this.

1. JohnnyBax: Schnorkus on Paradise. Hardly disputable as the top online tournament player for the year 2005. Won the Stars Yearly TLB. Won a WSOP bracelet in the $1500 7 card stud event.

2. TheBeat: Pete Giordano in real life. PeteTheBeat on Paradise and TheRealBeat on Party. Top 5 on PokerStars TLB in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Made final table of Foxwoods WPT. Few match his consistently excellent play.

3. Ari: BodogAri on most sites. James Taylor on UB. Known as a top cash player on Bodog, but has recently expanded to tournament play on several sites, with a lot of immediate success.

4. SamENole: Another top young player, who plays tournaments on all major sites on a daily basis. A very streaky player--he will often emerge to win several tournaments in a very short time. Took 2nd in the last event of the 2005 WSOP, which was worth about $100k.

5. iMsoLucky0: Yahtzee0 on Party. Has had some huge wins this year, including first place in the Party Friday Special for nearly $40k, first in the UB $150k for nearly $40k, and 5th in the Million Guaranteed on Party for $50k.

Online poker has taken over many people's lives and why not try to get some recognition for one of your favorite hobbies. These guys do a tremendous job and you guys should check them out. I just want to give these dudes there props for doin a kick ass job, and keeping the online poker world updated.

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