Just before the 2013 World Series of Poker Championship Event “November Nine” was determined earlier this month, it was announced that nominations were open for the public’s choices for this year’s Poker Hall of Fame. Currently ongoing, poker fans are once again being asked to put up their choice for the prestigious honor, with the Top Ten nominees (provided they meet the criteria for election) being voted on by the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame and a select group of poker media members.
Last year, the ten nominees for the panel to consider were Jennifer Harman, John Juanda, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen, Thor Hansen, Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, George Hardie, Eric Drache and the late Brian “Sailor” Roberts (who earned nomination by being named on the 2011 ballot by one of the Poker Hall of Fame members). In the end, Drache and Roberts earned the honor of stepping into the Poker Hall of Fame (a figurative statement, since there isn’t a physical location for the Hall) beside such legends of the game as Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and others.
With the nominations underway for 2013, the biggest question for some may be who deserves a shot this year.
McEvoy, Nguyen, Hansen and Harman are all deserving of a second look by the Hall of Fame committee because of their achievements in the game of poker. Besides being the first man to win the Championship Event after coming through the satellite system, McEvoy has gone on to great success at the WSOP (four total bracelets and the 2009 Champions’ Invitational). He also has been one of the most respected poker authors in the genre, penning tomes that have advised thousands of aspiring poker pros on how to play the game.
Nguyen, Hansen and Harman are also deserving of the second shot. A former World Champion, Nguyen has been one of the most recognizable players in the game for decades while posting a tournament poker resume that any player would like to have. Harman would be an excellent choice for the third woman in the Hall (behind Barbara Enright and Linda Johnson) for her continued excellence in high stakes cash games and her past tournament record. Hansen, the “Godfather of Scandinavian poker,” has nearly five decades of performance in both tournament and cash game play that should garner him entry into the Hall.
With those four chosen from last year’s list (unfortunately I feel that Bjorin, Juanda, Hardie and Chiu will not be able to earn enough votes, although Chiu’s bracelet win in 2013 put his name back on the marquee), there’s six other slots to fill. Some of these people should be considered because of their contributions to the game and their performance on the felt.
If we’re looking at expanding the Poker Hall of Fame beyond its U. S.-centric roots, two men would make excellent choices from Europe. Carlos Mortensen, the 2001 World Champion, displayed why he is still one of the best in the game by coming up just short of the 2013 “November Nine” earlier this month. Marcel Luske continues to play at an excellent level and he has stepped up to try to organize the game of poker with the International Poker Federation.
Two other former World Champions might be considered for the honor, but will probably come up short. 1993 World Champion Jim Bechtel has performed well at the greatest stage the poker world has to offer with the WSOP, but he might be overlooked because of his lack of performance of late on the tables. Another past champion who probably should get into the Hall would be 2000 World Champion Chris Ferguson. His chances of making the Hall were shot down with his involvement in Full Tilt Poker, however, and he may end up like Pete Rose and the Baseball Hall of Fame after all is said and done.
For their service outside of the poker playing spectrum, two men who have written about the game should be considered for the Poker Hall of Fame. The late Andy Glazer was one of poker’s most prolific writers in the late 1990s/early 2000s, covering the sport for a variety of outlets. Only Glazer’s untimely death prevented him from covering the sport into its renaissance during the mid-2000s, but he inspired a host of today’s crop of poker journalists to follow in his footsteps (this writer included). Another writer who has been a part of the game for decades is Max Shapiro, who has traipsed the West Coast of the United States not only playing in but covering the game of poker. His musings on the pages of CardPlayer (as well as other online sites) have brought fun to the game and his tournament reporting continues to be second to none.
That brings us to nine potential nominees, but I’ll leave the tenth one to you. Who do you believe deserves a shot at being in the Poker Hall of Fame?
