If you want a say in who is elected to the Poker Hall of Fame (HOF), it is time to get on it, as the nomination period for the 2015 Poker Hall of Fame class is now open to the public.
Largely the same as the past several years, those interested in shaping the Poker HOF can go to the World Series of Poker’s website to cast a ballot online. Voters must include personal information such as name, address, and e-mail, likely to reduce the chances that someone would stuff the ballot boxes. People are allowed to submit up to three names per e-mail address (separate submissions appear to be required) and nominations must be accompanied by a written reason, though it could be all of one word.
The Poker Hall of Fame has established a set of criteria that must be met for a player to be nominated:
• A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
• Played for high stakes
• Be a minimum of 40 years old at 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.
Several of these are certainly a bit vague, adding some complexity to the process. What is “top competition?” What qualifies as “high stakes?” What is “stood the test of time?” Overall, though, most people casting a ballot will have a reasonable understanding of what these are, so they shouldn’t end up being too confusing. After all, HOF voting in any sport is very much a subjective endeavor, which makes debates about the nominees interesting.
Once the nomination period closes on August 15th, the list of nominees will be forwarded to a “Nominating Committee,” who will then pare down the list to just ten people. That list of ten will then be considered by a panel composed of all the living Poker Hall of Fame members plus a select group of media members (of which I am not one…sigh). The members of that panel will cast their votes and, hopefully, an inductee or two will emerge.
As one would expect, the Poker Hall of Fame is quite selective. In most years, only one or two players get in. The largest induction class was the first, as seven players populated the Hall in 1979: Johnny Moss, Nick Dandolos, Felton “Corky” McCorquodale, Red Winn, Sid Wyman, Edmond Hoyle, and Wild Bill Hickok. Last year, Tournament Director Jack McClelland and poker player Daniel Negreanu were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
The 1990’s were very much a dead year for the Hall, though the voting process was much different back then. Nobody was elected in 1994 or 1995, nor did anybody make it from 1998 through 2000.
