For many who take the game of poker seriously, they can point to another player who has had a profound effect on their game.

Whether it’s emerging from obscurity to win the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, pulling off heart-stopping bluffs on High Stakes Poker, or crushing the nosebleed stakes of online poker, some of the best poker players in the world have helped to inspire generations of new players find their way in poker.

We’ve spoken with some of the biggest stars in the game today about who it their poker idols are.

Chris Moorman is often referred to as one of the most successful online poker players in history. Before the era of Super High Roller online tournaments, Moorman’s dedication to the online grind helped him become the first player to reach $10 million in earnings. For Moorman, his love of online poker has never seemed to fade as he was also the first player to break through the $15 million earnings mark as well.

Moorman is a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, a PocketFives Legacy Award winner, and continues his role as an 888poker ambassador. The former #1-ranked PocketFiver maintains the record for the most online Triple Crowns (30) and boasts more than $16.6 million in total lifetime online earnings.

When you first started playing poker, who was the player you admired the most?

Doyle Brunson.

What was it about that player that you liked or admired?

On the site that I learned to play on he was often seen at the highest stakes limit and NLH cash games bashing it up. Plus, I’d read Supersystem cover to cover.

When did you first get to see them play (either on TV, or live)?

High stakes poker would probably have been the first time but I also got to play with Doyle on day 2 of the WPT $25k at Bellagio which was a surreal moment.

Did you ever get to meet that player and what was that like?

I signed with Doyle’s Room as the fourth member of their Brunson 10 team in 2009 and got to go for dinner with him at Asia de Cuba in London (which has now become one of my favorite restaurants). He really is a great storyteller and it was a really fascinating evening and experience.

Can you tell me about something either on the felt or off of the felt that you learned from them?

I actually called him asking for some advice when I was going through a tough period in the game and he gave me some really good perspective on things and helped me to recognize that life wasn’t so bad!

How does it feel to know somebody out there looks at you the way you looked up to your favorite player?

It’s an amazing feeling. I was fortunate enough to get to play Poker After Dark in Vegas with a big fan of mine, Peter Martin, who had satellited into the event for just $1. I even let him knock me out of the tournament.