The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker in the United States. Founded in Las Vegas, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve as a tourist attraction to his casino.[1]
Binion was known for the creative ways in which he marketed his casino. In 1949, he convinced Johnny Moss and Nick "The Greek" Dandolos to play high-stakes poker heads up where the public could watch them.[2] In 1970, he invited a group of poker players to compete in what would be the first World Series of Poker (WSOP). When Harrah's Entertainment, later known as Caesars Entertainment, acquired the rights to the WSOP in 2004, it also assumed ownership of the Poker Hall of Fame.[3] Currently, membership in the Poker Hall of Fame is handled directly by the WSOP.[4]
As of 2024, 61 people have been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, 30 of whom are still living.[5][6]
In July 2023, an exhibit devoted to the Poker Hall of Fame opened in the Horseshoe Las Vegas, owned by Caesar’s Entertainment. The exhibit acknowledges poker’s most legendary players with a Gallery of Champions, WSOP bracelets and rings.[7]
Requirements
Before the 2009 World Series of Poker, then-WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack announced that the process for becoming a member into the Poker Hall of Fame would undergo a slight modification. Starting in 2009, the Poker Hall of Fame started accepting nominations from the public. This move was intended to increase interest in the Hall. Almost immediately after this decision was announced, Party Poker started an online campaign to get its representative and World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton elected to the Hall.[8][9][10] Other poker sites, namely PokerStars' Tom McEvoy, followed suit by pushing their own poker professionals.[11] The requirements for the Poker Hall of Fame are as follows:
A gambler must have played poker against acknowledged top competition,
Played for high stakes,
Played consistently well, gained the respect of peers,
And 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.[3][12]
In 2009, 23-year-old online poker professional Tom Dwan was a finalist for the Poker Hall of Fame because of public balloting. As a result, a new age requirement was added in 2011. This rule, known as the "Chip Reese Rule", established a minimum age of 40 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. This new requirement eliminated some players who were regular nominees over the previous years, such as Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu (both of whom were eventually inducted upon reaching the age threshold).[13]
The award
Admission into the Poker Hall of Fame is considered one of the greatest honors in poker.[14] In his acceptance speech, T. J. Cloutier declared, "It's one of two things I've always wanted to win."[15]Barbara Enright, the first woman inducted into the Hall, considers her induction to be a "lifetime achievement honor."[16]
Before being acquired by Harrah's Casino, R.S. Owens & Company was commissioned to design an award for Poker Hall of Famers. The award was an eight-inch-tall piece of glass with a hand of cards sandblasted at the bottom, the winner's name, and the words "Poker Hall of Fame" in a circle. The circle had a gold emblem bonded to the glass and had the Binion's Horseshoe Casino logo in it. There was a gold plated base with three gold-plated stacks of chips.[17]
1970 World Series of Poker Championship 1971 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1971 Limit Ace to 5 Draw 1974 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1975 $1,000 Seven Card Stud 1976 $500 Seven Card Stud 1979 $5,000 Seven Card Stud 1981 $1,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 1988 $1,500 Ace to Five Draw
The first World Series of Poker was not a freeze-out tournament, but rather a game with a set start and stop time. Benny Binion took a secret ballot that asked the players who the best player was. According to poker lore, everybody said that they were the best player. Binion then asked who the second-best player was, and Johnny Moss won.[21]
According to poker lore, in the summer of 1949, in Nevada, Nick the Greek and Johnny Moss played in a five-month-long poker marathon at Binion's Horseshoe Casino. Nick the Greek reportedly lost about $2 million to Moss and on losing the final hand stood up and said, "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go." This heads-up match, which became a tourist attraction, is often cited as the earliest inspiration behind the World Series of Poker.[2]
Hickok was one of the best-known poker players in the world before the 20th century. He is one of three Poker Hall of Famers to die while playing poker (along with Tom Abdo and Jack Straus).[12] Legend has it that when he was shot in the back in 1876, he was holding two aces and two eights. The hand has since been called the dead man's hand.[23]
Abdo is one of three Poker Hall of Famers to die while playing poker (along with Wild Bill Hickok and Jack Straus).[12] He died from a heart attack. According to legend, after suffering the heart attack, he asked another player to count his chips and to save his seat.[23]
Straus' 1982 WSOP tournament victory is considered to be one of the greatest comebacks in poker history. At one point, Straus had one chip remaining, and came back to win. This victory is considered to be the origin of the poker saying, "A chip and a chair", meaning that as long as a player has not been eliminated from the tournament, he or she still has a chance. Modern lore indicates that this happened at the final table, but the 1983 book The Biggest Game in Town implies this occurred on the first day of the tournament.[27] Straus is one of three Hall of Famers to die while playing poker (along with Wild Bill Hickok and Tom Abdo).[12]
Despite winning three bracelets, Reese was best known for his cash-game play. At 40 years old, he was the youngest person to be enshirined in the Poker Hall of Fame.[23]
1972 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1974 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em 1985 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 1990 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha
After winning the WSOP in 1972, Slim sought to change the image of poker by appearing on national television and radio programs.[23] Slim hosted the Super Bowl of Poker, considered the second most prestigious tournament at the time.[28]
1980 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1981 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1981 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1983 $5,000 Seven Card Stud 1997 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship
Ungar won back-to-back WSOP Main Event bracelets in 1980 and 1981, and won the event again in 1997. He and Johnny Moss are the only players to have won the main event three times.
1985 $1,000 Limit Hold'em 1987 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1988 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1994 $1,500 Seven Card Stud 1997 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 2000 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 2002 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Gold Bracelet Match Play 2003 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em 2003 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 2005 $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em
1983 $2,500 Match Play 1986 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1990 $2,500 Limit Hold'em 1995 $1,500 Limit Omaha 2001 $1,500 Razz
At the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame, Johnston had the most WSOP cashes of any poker player. Having cashed in at least one event every year from 1982 to 2010, Berry holds the record for longest streaks at 29 years.[29]
In the case of Baxter v. United States, Baxter fought the Internal Revenue Service and won the right to count poker winnings as earned income.[30] Because of the ruling, poker winnings are taxed at a lower rate than other forms of gambling.
Enright is the only woman to have advanced to the final table of the WSOP Main Event. She was the first woman to win three WSOP bracelets and the first to win an open event.[23]
1989 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1992 $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1993 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 1993 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em 1993 $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1997 $3,000 Pot Limit Hold'em 2001 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 2003 $2,500 Limit Hold'em 2003 $3,000 No Limit Hold'em 2006 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em with rebuys 2007 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2012 $2,500 Seven Card Razz 2012 $10,400 WSOPE Main Event 2015 $10,000 Seven-Card Razz 2018 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em 2021 $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw 2023 $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold'em
In 1989, at age 24, Hellmuth became the youngest person to win the WSOP main event. He held this distinction until 2008, when 22-year-old Peter Eastgate captured the title, and subsequently by 21-year-old Joe Cada in 2009.[31] Hellmuth won his record-breaking 11th bracelet in the 2007 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Event. He won his 12th bracelet in the 2012 $2,500 Seven-Card Razz Event. He then won his 13th bracelet in the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event, with his 14th bracelet coming in the 2015 $10,000 Seven-Card Razz Event. Hellmuth then won his 15th bracelet at the 2018 World Series of Poker in the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Event and his 16th bracelet at the $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw in 2021. Hellmuth holds the records for most WSOP bracelets (17), WSOP cashes (186), and most WSOP final tables (64).[32][33]
Sexton has live tournament winnings in excess of $3 million.[37] He has made 21 final tables at the WSOP, including a bracelet in Seven Card Stud 8/OB in 1989.[38] Sexton has been a commentator on the World Poker Tour since season one.[39]
1992 $2,500 Limit Hold'em 1993 $2,500 Omaha 8 or better 1994 $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1998 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 2001 $3,000 No Limit Hold'em 2003 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 2005 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 2007 $5,000 World Championship No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball w/rebuys 2021 O $10,000 Super Million$ High Roller
Seidel has captured nine WSOP bracelets. Seidel was runner-up in the 1988 World Series of Poker main event to Johnny Chan. The final hand was featured in the 1998 film, Rounders.[41]
"The First Lady of Poker" was a publisher of Card Player Magazine and was instrumental in the formation of the Tournament Director's Association (TDA).[43][44] At the time of her election, she served on the TDA Board of Directors and was heavily involved with the World Poker Tour as both a public relations director and tournament announcer.[45]
1983 $1,000 Limit Hold'em 1983 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1986 $1,000 Limit Razz 1992 $1,500 Limit Omaha
McEvoy has won 4 WSOP bracelets, including the 1983 Main Event. He was the first player to win that event after earning a seat through a satellite. He has also written over a dozen books on poker. McEvoy was instrumental in the effort to have smoking banned in card rooms
1997 $2,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 1998 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 2001 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha 2001 $5,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 2008 $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E.
Nguyen was the winner of the 1998 WSOP Main Event and the 2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, the only player to win both titles. He has made 9 World Poker Tour final tables with one title, making him one of four players to have a WPT title and WSOP Main Event bracelet. Altogether, Nguyen has accumulated over $11,000,000 in tournament winnings.
McClelland has had a career in poker operations for more than forty years. He was the WSOP tournament director in the 1980s, and was the manager of the Bellagio poker room from 2002 to 2013.
1998 $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em 2003 $2,000 Limit S.H.O.E. 2004 $2,000 Limit Hold'em 2008 $2,000 Limit Hold'em 2013 WSOP APAC $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event 2013 WSOPE €25,600 High Roller No Limit Hold'em 2024 $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Since turning professional at the age of 22, Negreanu has become one of the most successful and recognizable players in poker. He has won 7 WSOP bracelets, is 1st on the all-time WSOP money list, and is the only 2-time WSOP Player of the Year winner. He has also won 2 WPT titles, was player of the year in season 3, and is 2nd on the WPT career money list. With total live tournament earnings of over $46 million, Negreanu has the third most career winnings in poker history. Global Poker Index named Negreanu the player of the decade from 2004 to 2013.
2000 $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball 2002 $5,000 Limit Hold'em
Harman was the first woman to win more than one WSOP bracelets in open events. She has made 12 WSOP final tables, two WPT final tables, and has nearly $2.8 million in live tournament winnings. A fixture at high stakes cash games, Harman is the only woman who regularly plays in the Big Game at the Bellagio.
Oppenheim is regarded as one of the best all-round cash game players in the world and can often be found playing in the biggest mixed games in Las Vegas.
1994 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha 1996 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event 2000 $1,500 Razz 2003 $5,000 Razz
Seed is a four-time WSOP bracelet winner, including the 1996 Main Event. He also won the WSOP Tournament of Champions in 2010, and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in 2009. He is also notorious for his numerous prop bets.[46]
Elezra has won five World Series of Poker bracelets, including three in Seven Card Stud variants. He also won a World Poker Tour title in 2004. Elezra has more than $4.6 million in tournament winnings, including $2.6 million at the WSOP.
1999 $3,000 Pot Limit Hold-Em 2002 $2,000 No Limit Hold-Em 2002 $1,500 No Limit Hold-Em 2003 $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Split 2003 $1,500 Limit Hold-Em Shootout 2008 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha w/Rebuys
Flack has won six World Series of Poker bracelets, winning four of them within a two-year span. He also won a World Poker Tour title in 2003. Flack has more than $5 million in tournament winnings, including $2.8m at the WSOP.