Top 10 poker pros that are flying under the radar Part 1

In today’s poker world it’s hard to remain an anonymous background figure, but there are a few poker players who have been able to avoid being called “The Next Big Thing” or find their every exploit endlessly discussed on the online poker forums. The ten players I have chosen are definitely well-known in the poker community, but in my opinion do not receive the credit they deserve. Here are the criteria I used for selection:

• Must have multiple years of experience
• Must be considered a top player by their peers
• Must be overlooked when players discuss “The best players”

Here are my first 5 selections for the top 10 Poker Pros that are flying under the radar.

1. Allen Cunningham

It’s hard to understand how a player with Cunningham’s track-record can still be overlooked, but this is definitely the case with Allen Cunningham. In addition to his 5 WSOP bracelets, 42 WSOP cashes, and 4^th place Main Event finish in 2006, Cunningham has 2 WPT final tables, a WSOP Circuit win, and over $10 million in career tournament earnings.

1. Daniel Alaei

Alaei’s quiet demeanor is in complete contrast to the fierce way he plays poker. Alaei has had tremendous success in both tournaments and cash games. The 27 year-old Alaei has three WSOP bracelets in addition to a WPT win and is rapidly climbing poker’s all-time list with over $5 million in career tournament earnings. Oh, and did I mention he is also a successful cash game player!

1. Scott Clements

The 29 year-old Clements is perhaps the least known player on this list, which is mind-boggling when you consider he has 2 WSOP wins, 2 WPT final tables and a WPT title on his resume. For his career Clements has earned over $4.3 million in live tournaments.

1. Dusty Schmidt

“Leatherass” is online poker cash-game player, which is a title that seems to come with anonymity -as you’ll see with a few other players on this list. Schmidt’s numbers include $3 million in winnings as well as being a successful coach, instructor, and author.

1. Carlos Mortensen

Mortensen is probably the most accomplished player on this list, but I have absolute proof that he is still overlooked: Mortensen did not make the top 20 in fan voting for the 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions! An absolute travesty. What kind of resume does Carlos bring to the table? How about this for a resume: 2 WSOP bracelets including the 2001 Main Event, 3 World Poker Tour titles, and nearly $10 million in career tournament earnings.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series for numbers 6-10 on my list.