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US Holdem

A Poker Player By Any Name

Michael Jordan is known as Air Jordan. Oscar Dela Joya is better known for his nickname Golden Boy. This just proves how powerful nicknames can be in the popularity of a player. s Like in other sports, poker players' monickers are very much used. Some of the popular ones are:

Texas Dolly - this is the nickname of Doyle Brunson, a great poker player from Texas. He got this nickname when an announcer at a poker tournament mispronounced his name. People thought it sounded good, so the nickname stuck with Doyle, and he was known as Texas Dolly ever since.

Poker Brat - the owner of this undesirable nickname is no other than Phil Hellmuth, a great poker player who is known for his temper. A lot of people do not see Phil as a good sportsman, but he really does not care. He gives out his opinions even if they sound bitter. Usually, he insults his opponents and does not admit that another one is better than he is at the poker table. That is why his other nickname is Hellmouth.

The Professor - Howard Lederer is the poker player behind this nickname. The origin of this nickname is not definite, however, poker fans suspect that it came from his being a poker tutor to his sister Annie Duke. Since Annie Duke became a successful poker player as well, he might have been a very good teacher, much more like a professor.

Amarillo Slim - nobody else could own this nickname but the great Amarillo Preston. The word slim has been added to emphasize his thin figure. Thin as he is, he is never a weak poker opponent. Most poker players dread to play with him at the poker player because he is that good. So the lesson here is never under-estimate an opponent, even if he looks weak.

Jesus - Chris Ferguson owns this nickname simply because he looks like the Messiah.

The Kid - this nickname was popularized by Stu Ungar, who very well looks like a kid. Like Amarillo Slim, Stu may look like weak or innocent, but he can be very deadly at the poker table.

Whattaplayer Smith - if the other poker players got their names by how they look or how they play, Kenny Smith on the other hand earned this nickname by exclaiming "what a player" at the end of exciting showdowns. Since he was so fond of using this expression, people remembered him for that, so they named him after that phrase.