One of my favorite players to watch used to be Mustapha Kanit. His aggressive style and ability to read opponents were impressive. I admired how he handled high-pressure situations, especially in tournament settings.
is diff answers based on diff views...stu was best ever...ladies is annie for me who taught me a ton....best known is good friend in florida won 1.5 milly in career about 30 something now....fav probably grinder....fav played against probably doyle...
Stu Ungar. He was super smart, probably had a high IQ and had an amazing memory.
He was one of a kind. If he were alive today, I'm sure he would have adapted to solvers and gotten the most out of modern poker like no one has ever seen.
The best player would not be someone from the past like Stu or Doyle because the game has changed and players had to get better to continue to win. The best players of today would probably beat the best players of the past quite easily. So the best player ever will be one playing at the present time but who that is I have no clue.
You would have to put Phil Hellmuth as the GOAT since he has won the most bracelets just like Novak and Jack because they have won the most majors. But he sure is not my favorite player.
It is difficult to answer this question because there have been many players who have never faced each other. Several years ago there was no better player than Stu Ungar and currently there are very good players like Adrian Mateos, Doug Polk, Daniel Negreanu among others.
The best poker player? I could write an article on what constitutes as the "best poker player" and I believe the definition changes as the way that people play the game changes. I might actually write about that sometime.
As far as favorite players, that's easy. Three of my favorites are Joseph Mussat, Sean Pilgrim, and @Debi . I have other favorites as well. I just like to see my friends winning.