Last Chance for Nominations to the WSOP Hall of Fame

Members of the public have until Saturday 15^th August to nominate their favourite poker personality for a place in the World Series of Poker Hall of Fame.

Each year since 1979 the World Series of Poker has recognised the contributions made to the game by elite poker players and personalities by inducting them into the WSOP Hall of Fame. Previous recipients of the WSOP´s highest honour include Johnny Moss, Benny Binion, Mike Sexton and Doyle Brunson; and last year the names of Daniel Negreanu and Jack McClelland were welcomed to the WSOP Hall of Fame.

Nominations for a place in the Hall of Fame are influenced by public opinion, and members of the public are again being asked to nominate a poker player or personality for consideration by the “Nomination Committee” and WSOP “Governing Council”, by visiting the WSOP´s “Poker Hall of Fame” web page and registering their nomination. Nominations close at midnight on Saturday 15^th August, so only a few days remain to register a nomination.

The Qualifying Criteria for Hall of Fame Nominees

In order to be considered for a place in the WSOP Hall of Fame, nominees must be over forty years of age, must have played high stakes poker against acknowledged top opposition and gained the respect of his or her peers. If the nominee is a non-poker player, he or she must have contributed to the overall growth and success of poker.

Once the nominations have closed on Saturday, they are assessed by a Nominating Committee. The committee compiles a short-list of ten nominees that are then distributed to existing members of the Hall of Fame and a panel of judges to vote on. The votes are counted by the WSOP Governing Council, who announce who will be welcomed into the Hall of Fame prior to the conclusion of the World Series of Poker Main Event in November.

Who should be Nominated?

Every year there is a heated debate over who should be included in the WSOP Hall of Fame. Are there enough women in the Hall of Fame? Why are Europeans underrepresented? What about guys such as David Sklansky and Mike Caro who have had such an impact on how poker is played all over the world? It is impossible to include everybody in the Hall of Fame, but there have been some strong cases put forward for selected poker players and personalities.

One of the most the most high profile campaigns has been for the inclusion of Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott in the WSOP Poker Hall of Fame. Ulliott sadly passed away earlier this year due to colon cancer, and was both a successful player and a top personality in the game for more than three decades. The Devilfish won a WSOP bracelet and a WPT title, but is most fondly remembered for his persona at the tables which helped boost the popularity of the “Late Night Poker” TV series.

Possibly one of the most contentious suggestions is for Isai Scheinberg – the founder of PokerStars – to be included in the Hall of Fame. A campaign launched on the 2+2 poker forum by poker pro Terrence Chan lists multiple reasons why Scheinberg should be inducted into the Hall of Fame this November – the most relevant being the contribution made to the growth of poker by Scheinberg´s company, and the careers that have grown from it.

Other potential nominees that are receiving significant attention on social media include Bruno Fitoussi – the innovator responsible for introducing Texas Hold´em poker to France (thanks for all the fish Bruno) – and Jennifer Harman, who has made it onto the WSOP Hall of Fame shortlist previously, and deserves recognition for the effort she has invested in raising money for charity from poker players and poker games.

The shortlist of the top ten nominees will be released around the second week in September and you can find out who is included on that list by following @PokerNewsReport on Twitter.