Menu
Many poker fans will remember the 2018 Poker Hall of Fame inductees. Poker player, producer, and content creator Mori Eskandani was inducted last year, as was poker pro John “Johnny World” Hennigan. Final Voting Process. From this point, the public voting is over, and the rest is left up to two groups, all members with equal voting rights. Last night, Chris Moneymaker and David Oppenheim became the 57th and 58th inductees of the Poker Hall of Fame during the World Series of Poker Main Event coverage on ESPN. 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. 59 rows 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. Jul 23, 2017 'The Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council would like to recognize and congratulate the other 2017 finalists, all whom remain eligible for future induction: David Chiu, Mori Eskandani, Ted Forrest, Thor Hansen, Mike Matusow, Max Pescatori, Matt Savage and Huckleberry Seed.' 2017 Poker Hall of Fame Inductees. If you want some easy viewing. Moneymaker and Oppenheim were the 57th and 58th people to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, with 32 of those greats still being with us today. The Poker Hall of Fame was created in 1979 to celebrate notable poker players and industry personnel.
A panel of Hall of Famers and media members have selected poker player John Hennigan and television executive Mori Eskandani as the 2018 inductees into the Poker Hall of Fame. The WSOP announced the selections as the final table of the WSOP Main Event got underway on July 12.
Hennigan is an underrated all-time great
John Hennigan enters the Hall of Fame in his first year as a finalist. Several notable professionals, including Daniel Negreanu, have called Hennigan the toughest opponent they have ever faced.
Hennigan’s nickname is “World,” purportedly because of his willingness to bet on virtually anything in the world. Prior to poker, he was a professional pool player.
Since picking up poker, he has earned over $8.1 million in tournament winnings alone. He holds five World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour championship.
Hennigan remains a top professional today. In fact, he is likely to be the 2018 WSOP Player of the Year after making six final tables at this year’s series.
Those final tables include a win in the $10,000 HORSE event and a second-place finish in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Of all this year’s finalists, Johnny World was perhaps the most deserving.
Play Online Poker for Real Cash Prizes – US Players Accepted
- 5,000 Gold CoinsOn Sign Up
- Global Poker - US Players Accepted ReviewOverall Grade A
- Games B+
- Support A
- Banking A+
- Signup Bonus A
- 5,000 Gold Coins
Eskandani brought poker into your home
Mori Eskandani is the man largely responsible for bringing poker into your home. He is responsible for virtually every major poker program on television.
Eskandani is the creator of Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, The National Heads-up Championship, and several other game-based shows. He is now the producer for ESPN’s coverage of the World Series of Poker.
Eskandani began production company Poker Productions in 2003. Though he did not invent the hole-card camera, his use of it quickly became the standard in televised poker.
In fact, it is likely that his use of the hole-card camera had an equally profound effect on poker’s popularity as Chris Moneymaker‘s 2003 WSOP Main Event win. When viewers could “play” alongside the players, poker truly became a spectator sport, and it became possible to provide on-the-spot expert analysis of play, similar to other athletic events.
Wheel of fortune ps2 game 85. Apr 10, 2011 After a successful (and MUCH better) 63rd game of Wheel of Fortune for the PS1, it's now time for game 71 of my multi-million dollar run of Wheel of Fortune for the PS2 console.
Eskandani’s affinity for poker stretches back decades. In fact, he was well-known as a high-stakes player in the 1980s.
2017 Poker Hall Of Fame Inductee
However, his greatest impact has been away from the table. Nevertheless, he is clearly a deserving member of the Poker Hall of Fame.
A look ahead to the 2019 class
The 2018 Hall of Fame class arose from a ten-person list of finalists. Those eight men who were not chosen are eligible for consideration next year.
They are:
- Chris Bjorin
- David Chiu
- Bruno Fitoussi
- Mike Matusow
- Chris Moneymaker
- David Oppenheim
- Matt Savage
- Huckleberry Seed
According to the Hall of Fame criteria, inductees must be over the age of 40 and have made a lasting impact on poker, either at or away from the table. With that in mind, here are some people who might be nominated or will become eligible.
- Josh Arieh (age 43)
- Mike Caro
- John Cernuto
- Allen Cunningham (age 41)
- Antonio Esfandiari (age 39)
- Ted Forrest
- Gus Hansen
- Phil Laak
- Mason Malmuth
- Greg Raymer
- Barry Shulman
- David Sklansky
- Vince van Patten
The 2019 class will likely be a well-known group of players and poker professionals. Stay tuned.
Lead image courtesy of World Poker Tour/Flickr
Inductees into the Poker Hall of Fame continue to be disproportionately American despite outcries from poker fans around the world for the “club” to be more inclusive. We all know that someone who has only been to brick and mortar casinos in the U.S. can’t definitively say that those offer the best games when they’ve never even played at online casinos in Switzerland or other European countries, for example. So, too, poker is not just an “American game,” and there are deserving players and contributors around the world who are worthy of induction but who have nonetheless largely gotten overlooked.
Hall of Fame voters will not get another chance to vote for about eight months, so there’s plenty of time for them to consider strong international candidates. Thus, today, we’ll take a look at five international poker figures and contributors who are deserving of induction into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Chris Bjorin
Swedish-born player Chris Bjorin has been shortlisted as a finalist numerous times for the Poker Hall of Fame, and, surprisingly, hasn’t been inducted yet.
Bjorin began his gambling career in Sweden but moved to London over two decades ago to support himself through gambling. He didn’t start playing what he called “American games” until the late 1980s.
However, once he started playing, he started dominating and has been incredibly consistent over the years, winning six figures per annum in an era before High Roller events bloated the results of the tournament poker world.
Bjorin is also a two-time WSOP bracelet winner and annually makes deep runs in WSOP events. Fewer players have “stood the test of time” as Bjorin has. Perhaps 2020 is the year that voters finally give him the HOF slot he rightly deserves?
Joe Hachem
Is there a more prominent name in Australian poker than Joe Hachem? Hachem’s win in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event caused a Poker Boom in Australia similar to what was seen in the United States after Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 win.
Aspiring players started to cut their teeth at free money casinos in NZ and Australia before graduating to real money poker games. Hachem’s win helped to inspire current star players such as Michael Addamo and Kahle Burns. Moneymaker was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2019 primarily due to his influence on the evolution of poker, so Hachem certainly qualifies for induction based on that criterion.
Also, Hachem’s player qualifications make Moneymaker’s pale by comparison. His $12.66 million in career earnings also includes a World Poker Tour title, plus he has four additional WSOP final table appearances, including a third place finish in the $10k Omaha 8 earlier this year.
Bruno Fitoussi
Bruno Fitioussi is another player who has been on the finalist shortlist multiple times and was the man who introduced Texas Hold’em to France. Back in 1995, he brought the game to the Aviation Club in Paris, and since that time, he has worked to grow the game.
Fitoussi has appeared as both a poker player and commentator in various poker programs and hundreds of poker tournaments in France. He is more than just your average commentator, as he has put together an impressive resume at the tables.
In order to use this bonus, please make a deposit in case your last session was with a free bonus.The bonus will be valid to players which have made a deposit within the bonus upload date till its expiration date.The player's VIP level will determine the max cash out of the bonus.Blackjack as well as Video Poker have wagering requirements of times 60.Use the code THANKSVIP1 to get $100 free bonus.Use the code THANKSVIP2 to get $200 free bonus.Use the code THANKSVIP3 to get $400 free bonus.Use the code THANKSVIP4 to get $700 free bonus.Use the code THANKSVIP5 to get $1000 free bonus. Check your cashier to redeem the bonusThis offer is For VIP onlyNo several consecutive free bonuses are allowed. Bet365 bonus code slots 200.
Fitoussi has live cashes dating back to 1991. He took down multiple events at the 2001 World Heads-Up Poker Championship in Vienna. Plus, he also has multiple runner-up finishes in WSOP events, including a second-place finish in the 2007 $50,000 HORSE World Championship. In 2018, Fitoussi made a pair of WSOP final tables, including a runner-up finish in the $1,500 PLO8 Event.
Fitoussi’s influence on the game in France, coupled with his prowess at the table, has earned him a spot in Poker Hall of Fame. It’s time for voters to vote him in.
Terry Rogers
Many newer poker players have never heard the name Terry Rogers, but he is certainly one of the game’s trailblazers. Although primarily known as a bookmaker, he had a profound influence growth of Texas Hold’em in Ireland. After a trip to Las Vegas in 1979, he took the game home and soon devised what would be the longest-running poker tournament in Europe.
In 1980, Rogers founded the Irish Poker Open. He grew the event in the early years by convincing pros such as Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, and Chip Reese to come to the Emerald Isle to play. The event grew and has run every year except 1992. Rogers passed away in 1999, but the Irish Open continues as his legacy.
Rogers is largely known as the “Godfather of Poker” for Ireland and was very influential in the career of many players, including 1999 WSOP Main Event Champion Noel Furlong. While Rogers is no longer with us, his legacy is one that is deserving of enshrinement.
Eli Elezra
While he’s a naturalized American citizen, having lived in the US for over 30 years, Eli Elezra is one of the greatest poker players to come from Israel. Born and raised in the Holy Land, Elezra moved to America in his 20s to pursue business opportunities, and ended up in Las Vegas in the late 1980s. His English-language autobiography Pulling the Trigger was released earlier this year.
His move to Vegas soon began his rise in the poker ranks. Over the past two decades, Elezra has become one of the most feared players in high stakes cash games, featured on High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, and various other poker TV shows. Having been a Bobby’s Room regular for years, playing nosebleed stakes mixed games, Elezra also has $3.8 million in career earnings, including four WSOP bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.
For some Poker Hall of Famers such as Doyle Brunson, Elezra’s career ticks all the boxes. Few players have the consistency or longevity as Elezra, which makes him a lock for an eventual Hall of Fame induction.
Other Posts You'll Enjoy
- Time to Build a Real Poker Hall of FameWe at Cardplayer Lifestyle feel that it's high time for poker to have it's own proper Hall of Fame building. All of the ingredients are…
- Barry Greenstein, Linda Johnson Elected to Poker Hall of FameThe Poker Hall of Fame is set to induct 2 new members, Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson. The Cardplayer Lifestyle poker blog is here to…
- Harrington and Seidel Elected to Poker’s Hall of FameInductions to poker’s Hall of Fame have become an annual ritual during the ceremonies surrounding the World Series of Poker main event final table. As…
- Does DevilFish Get into the Poker Hall of Fame or Snubbed by a Builder?The WSOP has released it's list of 10 finalist nominees for the 2017 class of the Poker Hall of Fame. While all of them are…
- 7 Ways the Poker Hall of Fame Should Be ChangedThe Poker Hall of Fame continues to be a source of limitless debate in the poker community. Everything from the list of annual nominees to…
- 11 Reasons Why Wild Bill Hickok is in the Poker Hall of FameScroll down the names enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame and one, in particular, stands out; that of Wild Bill Hickok. The gunslinger of…