Handicapping the Ten Choices for WSOP Poker Hall of Fame

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As the members and media voting for the World Series of Poker Hall of Fame make their decisions, many players and fans of poker will be trying to handicap the race for members 38 and 39 of the prestigious group. While the fate of the ten nominees is being decided, an argument can be made for the chances each player has of being selected.

From all of the players nominated during fan voting online, the Poker Hall of Fame committee selected the ten finalists based on the following criteria:

• Players must have played poker against recognized top competition
• They must have played for high stakes
• They must have consistently played well and gained the respect of their peers
• They must have maintained the previous criteria for a prolonged period of time

These stipulations ensure that players don’t get elected for the wrong reasons. For example, Tom “durrrr” Dwan was eliminated by the committee last year, even though he is a wildly popular player. The fact that he is only 24 years-old and has yet to win his first WSOP bracelet meant that he didn’t fit the longevity criteria, something he will likely fulfill as his amazing career continues.

The ten players with the outlook on their chances are:

10^th – Linda Johnson (winner of one WSOP bracelet) While Johnson won a WSOP bracelet in 1997 and is a strong role model for women poker players, she doesn’t have enough of a resume (only $300,000 in career live earnings) to overcome a strong field.

9^th – Jennifer Harman (winner of two WSOP bracelets) Harman is a very good candidate in a strong group. The Team Full Tilt player is a good choice, but no bracelets since 2002 weakens her case.

8^th – Daniel Negreanu (winner of four WSOP bracelets and 2^nd in career live earnings) The PokerStars pro would have been a much stronger candidate a few months ago, but his controversial nature has been on display lately, losing him points in the important “respect” category.

7^th – Dan Harrington (winner of two WSOP bracelets) Harrington is a strong player with over $6 million in career live earnings. He has two WSOP bracelets, but like Harman, he hasn’t won in a long time, hurting his chances. His success as an author of poker strategy books may take him higher.

6^th – Barry Greenstein (winner of three WSOP bracelets) Greenstein is a solid possibility. Winning his third bracelet in 2008, the Team PokerStars pro is still very competitive, with earnings of over $7 million lifetime.

5^th – Tom McEvoy (winner of four WSOP bracelets) McEvoy won his first bracelet back in 1982, has authored more than a dozen books on poker and is a columnist for Card Player magazine. Although he hasn’t won a bracelet since 1992, he is still a force, winning the inaugural WSOP Players Championship in 2009.

4^th – Scotty Nguyen (winner of five WSOP bracelets) Known as “The Train”, Nguyen is one of the great comeback stories in poker. Overcoming personal problems that wiped out his fortune, Nguyen has come on to win five bracelets and $11.25 million for his career.

3^rd – Chris Ferguson (winner of five WSOP bracelets) Poker’s “Jesus” has been one of the most recognizable players in the game. His five bracelets, $8 million in live earnings and 3 World Poker Tour championships make him a strong choice for voters.

2^nd – Erik Seidel (winner of eight WSOP bracelets) Seidel, as known as “Sly”, joins Phil Ivey in sixth place among all-time WSOP bracelet winners. With over $10 million in career earnings, Seidel is a logical choice for one of this year’s two Hall spots.

1^st – Phil Ivey (winner of eight WSOP bracelets) Eight WSOP bracelets, the leader in career earnings at over $13 million, nearly $16 million in the past three years of online poker; Ivey has the ultimate pedigree. Although he is only 34, Ivey has more than a decade playing world-class poker, earning the reputation of many peers as the game’s best player. The “Tiger Woods of Poker” just missed induction last year; it’s doubtful that he will miss again.