HSP - Your Liked & Disliked players (to watch) of the original 7 seasons (1 Viewer)

Phantom

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Following on from the recent HSP discussions over the return season, was wondering who are:
  • your top 5 (or more) favourite players (to watch) and why?
  • your top 5 (or more) least favourite players (to watch) and why?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_players_on_High_Stakes_Poker to help refresh your memory :)

Favourite players to watch
  1. Sammy Farha - Entertaining table talk, fearless and mixed up the play with sometimes outrageous hands.
  2. Tom Dwan - Amazing ability to size up the situation and players (without always over betting). Mainly because of the Lederer hand though, haha - "You have a pair?" Cracks me up every time. A little disconcerting with the head bobbing thing though.
  3. Patrik Antonius - Never read a poker book (allegedly), but no real personality unless totally comfortable with the other players around him. Still, he seems a pretty cool guy and for some reason, fun to watch.
  4. Eli Elezra - For a similar reason to Sammy (particularly when they played together - an Israeli and a Lebanese getting on so well). Just had a way about him that was enjoyable to watch.
  5. Doyle Brunson - "I play small ball poker fellas". Was interesting to watch Doyle adjust to the range of players and even just his comments and mannerisms (accompanied by Kaplan's commentary) were awesome to watch).
Honourable Mention - Phil Laak. Deep down I am sure he is a good player, but his comments and antics made it fun to watch him.

Least favourite to watch
  1. Howard Lederer - barely played a hand and the whole Full Tilt thing. Just painful to watch;
  2. Barry Greenstein - waited for AA or KK, a little bit creepy in his mannerisms. Did enjoy his AA being cracked though, so there is that;
  3. Nick Cassevetes - chewing gum like a cow, patronising manner towards pro players and downright boring as a card player;
  4. Phil Ivey - for similar reasons to Patrik Antonius. Awesome player, no obvious personality, always looks in pain and robotic. Not enjoyable to watch.
  5. Jennifer Harman - never really seemed overly comfortable at the table. Lasting visions of Jen are nursing a hot mug of coffee and folding.
Honourable Mention - Vanessa Selbst. Can't stand that guy.
 
Having read his books, and him being an icon, I 'm always keen to watch Uncle Doyle playing.
However, the best impression I 've got is from Bill Perkins, as a person. I would gladly have a couple of drinks with him, beyond poker.
 
Having read his books, and him being an icon, I 'm always keen to watch Uncle Doyle playing.
However, the best impression I 've got is from Bill Perkins, as a person. I would gladly have a couple of drinks with him, beyond poker.
Funny how we all see things differently. My first impression of Perkins was someone I couldn't stand haha. He almost made the second list :)
 
Dwan, Doyle, Elezra, Guy (the guy that owns Circus ole), Farha, Antonius, Ivey

All of them had legendary moments in the TV show
 
What I remember is not from HSP, but rather from P*Stars "the big game", where Phill Helmut is bitching about having lost a huge hand to the guest amateur (the "loose cannon" according to that game), and Bill comes in to shout to Phil: "HE'S A SCHOOL TEACHER GODDAMMIT! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF SHAME BITCHING ABOUT LOSING A TINY BIT OF YOUR BANKROLL, STILL THREE MONTHLY SALARIES OF HIS?" (or something close to that, but it touched me).
 
What I remember is not from HSP, but rather from P*Stars "the big game", where Phill Helmut is bitching about having lost a huge hand to the guest amateur (the "loose cannon" according to that game), and Bill comes in to shout to Phil: "HE'S A SCHOOL TEACHER GODDAMMIT! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF SHAME BITCHING ABOUT LOSING A TINY BIT OF YOUR BANKROLL, STILL THREE MONTHLY SALARIES OF HIS?" (or something close to that, but it touched me).
I think I saw that a long time ago. Phil never had a real good time on HSP either. Especially Season 6.
 
Most liked: Doyle.
My favorite line is something like, "If my Daddy knew I was loser in THIS game he'd roll over in his grave!"
 
Jennifer Harman - never really seemed overly comfortable at the table. Lasting visions of Jen are nursing a hot mug of coffee and folding.

Jen Harman is a cutie and I'd watch her every day!
And in all seriousness, she played some of the highest stakes ever, at least back in those days, and of course, she was the only chick at the table for decades - I don't think she was ever uncomfortable at that table.
 
List one
Tom Dwan- creativity
Phil Hellmuth- reactions
Phil Ivey- reads
Negreanu- table talk
Farha- personality


list Two
Jamie Gold- whines
David Grey- never shuts up
Vanessa Selbst- attitude
Jason Mercier- ineffective
Andrew Robl- voice
 
Jen Harman is a cutie and I'd watch her every day!
And in all seriousness, she played some of the highest stakes ever, at least back in those days, and of course, she was the only chick at the table for decades - I don't think she was ever uncomfortable at that table.
Fair call. Wasn’t aware of her other play when I first watched HSP, just seemed that way to me from the limited play on HSP.
 
Fair call. Wasn’t aware of her other play when I first watched HSP, just seemed that way to me from the limited play on HSP.
Actually maybe you were right. I started re-watching season 1 and she actualy said to the camera that no limit was a game she was learning.
 
After re-watching a bunch of season 1 last night, it’s amazing just how much Shawn Sheikhan is disliked. Literally nobody at that table liked him, and it was open and obvious. It actually made me feel bad for the guy. He obviously brought it on himself and got exactly what he deserved, but it must be very lonely, sitting at a table full of people who all enjoy each other’s company and who all wish you weren’t there.
 

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