Poker Hall of Fame Requires Changes

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Monday, October 10th, 2016 | Written by Shane Larson

The Poker Hall of Fame was created in 1979 to honor the achievements of those involved with poker, either as a player or as an industry innovator. While its existence helps to elevate poker into the arena of professional sports where the accomplishments of players, coaches, managers and team owners are celebrated every year, over the past few years some of the nominations have caused a great deal of controversy amongst poker fans.

While the names of nominees may change each year, the complaints seem to remain the same, with problems cited ranging from a lack of transparency to outright confusion over the requirements for being considered for a Hall of Fame place. There are also mixed feelings about whether or not fans should be able to participate in the selection process, and how many players and contributors should be included in the year’s round-up of inductees.

Recently, a poker columnist wrote a comprehensive set of reforms that would address all of these problems. In his column, Steve Ruddock recommended the following:

– Create an Established, Clear Set of Criteria for Consideration

Currently, the criterion for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame is vague. Players need to have played poker at the highest stakes, played well, and earned the respect of their peers, with their results having “stood the test of time.”

Ruddock recommends revising the guidelines for players to mandate that nominees be at least 40 years old and have been competing at the highest levels for at least 10 years. They should also have been one of the best players of their time during at least a 10 year period and conducted themselves ethically in a way that shows good character. Industry contributors, he feels, should obviously have a separate set of criteria.

– Make Changes to How Inductees are Nominated

Many people argue that allowing fans to vote on nominations every year ends up making the Poker Hall of Fame a popularity contest rather than an actual award for people who have made a big impact on poker. To address this, Ruddock suggests combining fan voting with input from the media and those who have already been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

– Induct More People Every Year

Ruddock proposes that the Poker Hall of Fame should induct three people every year rather than just two. The first two inductees would be for those who are actively involved in the competitive circuits as players, while the third would be for those people who have contributed to the game of poker. This would end controversies of players being overlooked for contributors, and make it so that those who are making a difference in the world of poker have a chance to be recognized every year.

Change Necessary

All of the suggestions made by Ruddock are doable and seem to solve much of the problems that the Poker Hall of Fame inductions seem to cause every year without fail. The question is–will the Poker Hall of Fame take notice and make any changes based on those recommendations. Only time will tell.

Past Controversies

Since its inception, fifty people have entered the Poker Hall of Fame. A chief bone of contention, however, is the fact all but one of the eventual inductees either hail from America or have been granted U.S. citizenship. In 2015, when the Hall of Fame had the opportunity to induct top UK pro Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, who was instrumental in spreading the game’s popularity in Britain, the now deceased player was passed over in favor of US pros John Juanda and Jennifer Harman, which subsequently caused consternation amongst his aggrieved fans. One British character taking up the player’s cause was TV director and poker pro John Duthie, who wrote an impassioned piece in which he stated:

“ Now, this is just not about “Devilfish” himself, but it is about the fact that no international player has ever passed the stage of nomination and this includes quite a list of talent.” Duthie then added; “they need to look closely at the type of institution they want to be part of. If they want to be taken seriously outside of the U.S., then change is imperative. Do you want to be recognized by your peers worldwide, or be the subject of a Vegas tourist’s curiosity in 2050?”