Poker Hall of Fame Submissions Still Open

Written by Jennifer Newell

Last updated on October 19th, 2018

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A unique opportunity is currently open to poker enthusiasts around the world. Everyone is welcome to nominate a person in the poker world for possible induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. There are currently 54 people who have been honored with spots in the Poker Hall of Fame, which was founded by Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas and now carried on by Caesars Entertainment in association with the World Series of Poker. And every person in the world can have a voice in the addition of nominees for the 2018 voting process, out of which one or two – possibly three – names will be chosen for induction into the elite Hall of Fame. Voting time is limited, however. It officially closes on June 30. Last year, the 10 finalists were announced on July 9, and the two inductees were chosen in the days that followed. The announcement of Phil Ivey and David Ulliott as the honorees came on July 20, with the ceremony following on July 21 surrounding the broadcast of the WSOP Main Event final table. This is likely close to the timetable of this year’s announcements as well. https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/888607374209990658

Nomination Requirements and Considerations

This is the point when it becomes necessary to remind people not to waste their votes on their mom or dad, unless, of course, your dad is David Chiu or Mori Eskandani. This is serious business, and there are requirements for a player to be considered. The criteria that must be met are listed as follows:

--Must have played poker against acknowledged top competition. --Must have played for high stakes. --Must be a minimum of 40 years old at the time of nomination. --Must have played consistently well, gaining the respect of their peers. --Must have stood the test of time.

For non-players who are nominated, the requirement is:

--Must have contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker with indelible positive and lasting results.

The process is simple. Simply go to the WSOP website’s Poker Hall of Fame page, complete the short form, and submit it. Only one vote is permitted per email address. https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1005880420536160256 When voting closes, the submissions will be tabulated, and the 10 nominees with the most votes will be revealed to the public. The Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council, which includes all living Hall of Fame members and a pre-selected media panel, will then vote to elect one or two of those nominees for induction this year. Once those people are chosen, the WSOP will announce their names. The official induction ceremony will take place in coordination with the final table of the WSOP Main Event in summer, and details will be announced closer to that time.

Likely Nominees

There is a pattern to the names nominated by the public. Most of it is based on popularity, and most of the nominees are American. That’s a story for another day. In 2017, there were eight people on the final voting list who were not inducted. Some of those names are likely to reappear this year, though it remains to be seen if they garner enough public votes to make it into the top 10:

--David Chiu --Mori Eskandani --Ted Forrest --Thor Hansen --Mike Matusow --Max Pescatori --Matt Savage --Huck Seed

Of those, Pescatori and Savage were in the top 10 in 2016 as well. And Chiu, Forrest, Hansen, Matusow, and Seed had been nominated in past years. Other names that have been up for discussion of late include Chris Moneymaker, David Sklansky, John Hennigan, David Oppenheim, Steve Lipscomb, Bruno Fitoussi, JC Tran, Terry Rogers, Marcel Luske, Betty Carey, Alice Ivers, Padraig Parkinson, and Humberto Brenes. https://twitter.com/ScurrilousMay/status/1005144402619260929 The non-players have a more difficult time garnering public support, as they are not nearly as well-known as the players and don’t have high name recognition. Savage may be the exception to that rule, but Lipscomb and Eskandani are not household names despite their significant contributions to the game. https://twitter.com/SavagePoker/status/1005849902792912896 Some have name recognition but not the poker accomplishments that would likely garner enough votes from the council. Moneymaker had the big WSOP Main Event win, and many believe that event spurred the poker boom, but he has not had the level of success as a Seed, Forrest, or Chiu. Others like Hansen, Luske, and Brenes should be viewed for their overall contributions to poker, such as their ambassadorship and promotion of it, beyond their on-the-felt achievements. The general public, however, is not typically aware of that part of poker history. https://twitter.com/stevebadger100/status/1006270220321746944 The nominees should be known and made public not long after voting closes on June 30.

Hall of Fame History

The Poker Hall of Fame was the brainchild of Benny Binion and established in 1979. There was a live memorial to the inductees, complete with photos and signage, at Binion’s Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas. However, when Caesars Entertainment (then Harrah’s) bought the World Series of Poker in 2004, the Hall of Fame changed hands. Currently, there are no plans for a new physical Hall of Fame for fans to visit or in which memorabilia can be housed and displayed. https://twitter.com/Live_Poker/status/1006510027199348736 There are currently 54 members of the Hall of Fame, in order of the years they were inducted:

2017:  Phil Ivey 2017:  David Ulliott 2016:  Todd Brunson 2016:  Carlos Mortensen 2015:  Jennifer Harman 2015:  John Juanda 2014:  Daniel Negreanu 2014:  Jack McClelland 2013:  Scotty Nguyen 2013:  Tom McEvoy 2012:  Eric Drache 2012:  Sailor Roberts 2011:  Linda Johnson 2011:  Barry Greenstein 2010:  Erik Seidel 2010:  Dan Harrington 2009:  Mike Sexton 2008:  Henry Orenstein 2008:  Dewey Tomko 2007:  Barbara Enright 2007:  Phil Hellmuth 2006:  Billy Baxter 2006:  TJ Cloutier 2005:  Jack Binion 2005:  Crandell Addington 2004:  Berry Johnston 2003:  Bobby Baldwin 2002:  Johnny Chan 2002:  Lyle Berman 2001:  Stu Ungar 1997:  Roger Moore 1996:  Julius Popwell 1993:  Jack Keller 1992:  Amarillo Slim Preston 1991:  Chip Reese 1990:  Benny Binion 1989:  Fred Ferris 1988:  Doyle Brunson 1988:  Jack Strauss 1987:  Puggy Pearson 1986:  Henry Green 1985:  Red Hodges 1984:  Murph Harrold 1983:  Joe Bernstein 1982:  Tom Abdo 1981:  Bill Boyd 1980:  T. Forbes 1979:  Nick Dandalos 1979:  Wild Bill Hickok 1979:  Edmond Hoyle 1979:  Felton McCorquodale 1979:  Johnny Moss 1979:  Red Winn 1979:  Sid Wyman

   

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