I think games with variance built into them are so much better than games with no variance modifier. In chess there is always an optimum move. In the same way poker has an optimum move or decision as well, but its often much much harder to see that or even think about that correct decision as there is so much fluctuation that its tough to tell if that move is correct. To learn by trail and error is incredibly time consuming in poker and takes years to master a game. [...]
But its this variance that creates the illusion to people that they are winning poker players. Its this variance that has given action and made millions of dollars for me over the years.

Brian Townsend – 02/2010 – in CardRunners Blog

Poker players can agree on nothing. So the fact they do agree on Phil Ivey is a rare circumstance. Phil Ivey has a sixth sense like all good poker players do, but he has like a sixth-and-half sense. He has the ability to read situations better than the next person. In poker it’s hard to say anybody’s the best, but yeah, they’re pretty unanimous. Hardly anybody says, ‘Ah, he gets lucky.’ Everyone agrees he is the best.

Norman Chad – 11/2009 – in Las Vegas Sun

Virtually every poker situation can be broken down to a simple mathematical formula. If there is $600 in a pot and you bet $600, you’ll be getting even money on your proposition. That means, in the long run, you’d have to win that pot half the time to make it a profitable play. When you consider that the hand will play out almost identically with a $400 bet, you’ll see that, mathematically, it often makes sense to choose the smaller bet. [...]
You will rarely see a to professional bet all of what’s in the pot when you watch poker on television. They’ll vary their bets generally between one-third, one-half, and three-quarters of the pot. They understand that by keeping the pots smaller, they’ll have more control over the outcome. And that’s just what they want – to maintain control of the table.

Daniel Negreanu – 01/2007 – in Hold’em Wisdom for all Players

I realized that people are getting better at poker. Whereas I used to sit down at a table and presume people were bad until they show me that they aren’t, now I play and presume people are good until they prove otherwise.

Gavin Griffin – 01/2010 – in PokerStars Blog

It’s no coincidence that Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey and a lot these really, really top players are in excellent physical condition. They’re in great shape, they eat healthily and I’m sure many of them have mental coaches, sparring partners of some kind. [..] I think in the next three to four years the players that will be successful will be those who are treating poker as a sport and taking it as serious as the top footballers and athletes.

Jesper Hougaard – 11/2009 – In Bluff Europe

 

My game is way too deep for anyone to figure out. The minute that I start thinking that they are figuring me out I’ve got so many different gears and so many different plays in my no-limit heads-up book that they are going to have to play like a million hands against me. They’re never going to be as good as me at no-limit heads-up – I’m always one step ahead so they can try and figure me out as much as they want but it’s not going to happen.
I think that it’s definitely fair to say that I’m one of the top no-limit heads-up players and it’s definitely fair to say that I am one of the best online no-limit cash players.

Luke “_FullFlush1_” Schwartz – 12/2009 – in Poker Player

Is there really a best poker player in the world? I don’t think so. It is much like saying, ‘Is there a best artist in the world?’. Poker is too much art to have a best player. A list of great players could be written, but the word ‘best’ shouldn’t be used. No offense to Phil Ivey, but I would use the term ‘amazing’ to describe him.

Tom Schneider – 11/2009 – in Poker News Daily

In Europe, there are more very good players, but also a lot of bad players. In the United States, there are a lot more average and good players. I think there are more great players in Europe than America.

Antonio Esfandiari – 02/2009 – In Poker News Daily