The Most Entertaining Poker Players

Mike is not known as "the mouth" for nothing -- when he's at the table, he's talking. He's most famously known for saying the f-word 5 times during the 2005 World Series of Poker and having to leave the table for almost an hour as a penalty. Even though he's often running at the mouth, he's generally good natured, and always fun to watch.

Ah, the "Poker Brat." You never know if he'll be referring to himself in the third person, telling other players "they don't even know how to spell poker" or lauding his ability to "dogde bullets" but you know he'll be going on about something. When he implodes, the fun really begins.

Negreanu is one of the toughest, and liveliest, poker players alive. He is constantly animated, engaging other players in banter, and using what he learns to make some of the most amazing reads in poker. He's at his best on shows like High Stakes Poker, when he can use all his powers of gab, perception, and persuasion to lure opponents in and rake in huge pots.

Jennifer "Hooty McBoobs" Tilly as I sometimes call her is always fun to watch play, and not just because of her often low-cut shirt. She tends to be livelier on shows like Celebrity Poker Showdown, where she doesn't feel the need to be real serious and jokes and flirts her way through hands.

How can you not enjoy watching a world-class poker player who punctuates most statements with "Baby" as he did in his famous World Series bracelet win, telling his opponent, "You call this and it's all over, baby"? The lively, beer-sipping, gold-chain wearing Nguyen is a winner to watch at any table.

Even though Phil Laak is called "The Unabomber" for his trademark look of wearing a hooded sweatshirt pulled tight around his face, he's hardly a glum and moody presence. You never know when he'll jump up from the table, run around, and start doing push-ups.

Luske is certainly the most dapper man in poker, and is almost always seen wearing a handsome suit at the table. That, and a pair of upside-down sunglasses. He is a charming player, talkative and classy, and his love of the game is evident when you watch him play.

When I watch players, I often categorize them into two groups: Players I think would be fun to play with and players who I hope to never see across from me. I'd definitely be happy to sit down with Canadian player Gavin Smith, aka "Birdguts" and even invite Gavin to my home game, though he'd rip it apart.

Humberto is one of the liveliest players at the table, singing, jumping up and dancing around, and moving around his card protector, a rubber shark, and saying things like "the shark is hungry..." to gobble up opponents chips. Though his accent sometimes makes his English hard to understand, it's easy to understand he is a delight to watch.