Here's your chance to try to get your favorite poker pro into the Poker Hall of Fame. The WSOP opened up nominations to the public and you have until December 11 to submit your pick(s) on which players should be inducted into the next Hall of Fame class. WSOP HOF panelists will vote on the top 10 nominees. The new class, the class of 2020, will be inducted on December 30 before the WSOP Main Event final table.
It's time to call your friends and wake the neighbors. It's time to submit your nominations for the next class of the swanky and prestigious Poker Hall of Fame curated by the World Series of Poker. Just when you thought that a crazy and wild 2020 would conclude without honoring two (American) poker players with induction into its exclusive club, well, you're wrong because the Hall of Fame induction will be an integral part of the WSOP Main Event festivities. Yes, that wacky Main Event with a GGPoker winner will play the WSOP.com winner in a live heads-up battle for TV audiences to cap off the year.
Last year, Chris Moneymaker earned a controversial nod to the Hall of Fame, which is silly because many of us wouldn't be here without Chris Moneymaker pulling off that sick bluff over Sammy Farha at the 2003 WSOP Main Event at Benny's Bullpen in Binion's. In addition, high-stakes mixed game guru David Oppenheim also earned his spot in the Hall of Fame.
With the inclusion of Moneymaker and Oppenheim, there are only 57 and 58 men and women in the Hall of Fame. Who will be #59 or #60?
Several nominees from 2019 that fell short of induction are also eligible including Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Ted Forrest, and Huck Seed. Who else will they add to the list this year?
I'm on the European train. Where's the Euros in the WSOP Hall of Fame? The American-centric HOF needs some European flavor. That's why I already nominated Bruno Fitoussi and Thor Hansen. Both gentlemen are considered influential members of the poker community in both of their home countries, as well as having a regional reach. Both men thrived and excelled at the tables in Las Vegas and in the USA. They meet the requirements as well.
Thor Hansen inspired two generation of poker players in Scandinavia and northern Europe. We don't get an Isiludr or Annette15 without Thor Hansen blazing a trail. A nod to the Hall of Fame would be a perfect way to honor the late, great Thor Hansen.
Bruno Fitoussi is called the Godfather by French poker players. He's been a force at the tables for multiple decades as both a player and a important member of the poker business community. It's a shame that Bruno has not gotten his fair shake, but I'm here to lobby for him because he deserved the recognition.
On December 16, the actual Hall of Fame voters (including a panel of chosen insiders, plus the living 32 members of the HOF) will vote on the nominees. On December 30, during the Main Event celebration, the Hall of Fame members will be inducted.
Click here to nominate your favorite pro.
Poker Hall of Fame Requirements
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Be a minimum of 40-years-old at time of nomination
- Played for high stakes
- Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
- Stood the test of time
- Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results