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Nomination Process Has Become for 2018 Poker Hall of Fame
The 2018 World Series of Poker is just completing its first week of action and while players from around the world are trying to become poker champions, the WSOP is beginning the process of recognizing some of the game’s greats.
Nominations for the 2018 class for the Poker Hall of Fame are now underway. As has been the tradition for a few years now, fans can log in and cast their votes for whom they think are worthy of nomination. Just head to WSOP.com and make your nomination today.
Nomination Process for Poker Hall of Fame Underway
Every year, the Poker Hall of Fame holds a public nomination process where fans can go to WSOP.com and nominate one person whom they feel is worthy of being enshrined.
The criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame are:
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Played for high stakes
- Be a minimum of 40 years old at the time of nomination
- 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
Once the public nomination process is completed, the votes are tabulated and the top vote-getters will become finalists. The exception is if a current member of the Poker Hall of Fame decides to nominate a finalist.
The list of finalists is often a mix of poker players and industry contributors. Once the list of finalists is announced, those names are sent to be voted upon by both the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame and the members of a panel of media members.
Since 2010, two people have been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame each year. It is unknown presently when the nominees will be announced or even if there will be an induction ceremony. Last year, Caesars chose to forego the nomination ceremony for the first time in recent memory.
Who Will Be Up For Nomination in 2018?
As you may remember, Phil Ivey and the last David “DevilFish” Ulliott were those enshrined in 2017. This year’s nomination will certainly be one of the most “wide open” groups in recent memory as many of the top players in the game have recently been enshrined.
Congrats to the Poker Hall of Fame class of 2017: Phil Ivey and David "Devilfish" Ulliott!https://t.co/XTaJVwSkVi pic.twitter.com/Vyk5ovDz6e
— WSOP (@WSOP) July 22, 2017
Perhaps this is a year where certain players that have been flying under the radar will finally get their just deserts. For example, players such as Chris Bjorin, Bruno Fitoussi, and Eli Elezra have all been finalists multiple times but have never garnered enough votes to get in.
Other players such as Mike Matusow, Ted Forrest, and Huck Seed may also now have a shot now that certain high profile players have been enshrined.
Also, there are many industry executives that may now have a better chance of getting inducted this year. Matt Savage is certainly one of the top names mentioned annually. Mori Eskandani is another name that is popular in the poker community and worthy of induction.
Of course, one name that you will hear mentioned often will be Isai Scheinberg, former owner of PokerStars. He is often referred to as THE contributor most deserving to be in the Poker Hall of Fame. However, Scheinberg has never answered charges related to Black Friday and since Caesars is a licensed online provider in multiple states, it is unlikely we will see him enshrined.
There’s also certain players who are certainly eligible due to their pedigree, but other circumstances will prevent them from ever being enshrined. The three that come to mind are Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, and Annie Duke.
Ferguson and Lederer are infamously linked to Full Tilt and are directly responsible for the downfall of the company. That alone will prevent most from ever voting for them. However, it is unlikely the public will ever allow them to become finalists.
Annie Duke was one of the most dominant female poker players in history, but her ties to the Epic Poker League led to her leaving the game and many have pegged her as a scammer because of the company’s downfall. It is unlikely she will ever become a finalist as a result.
If you have not already done so, head to http://www.wsop.com/phof/ today and make your nomination for the 2018 Poker Hall of Fame. We will update you with results once they become available, likely sometime in August or September.
