Phil Ivey, who reached the age requirement this year by turning 40 in February is a heavy favorite to be one of the two players who get picked for the Poker Hall of Fame this year – but even though Ivey’s spot seems to be "reserved" there’s still one more vacancy which could be filled by any of the other nine nominees.
The ten players who are up for the Poker Hall of Fame introduction were named yesterday by PHOF Governing Council. They are, in alphabetical order:
David Chiu (China)
Mori Eskandani (USA)
Ted Forrest (USA)
Thor Hansen (Norway)
Phil Ivey (USA)
Mike Matusow (USA)
Max Pescatori (Italy)
Matt Savage (USA)
Huckleberry Seed (USA)
David "Devilfish" Ulliot (UK)
The two players picked will be revealed on ESPN during their WSOP Main Even final table coverage. The choice will be made by the current 27 living Hall of Fame members and an 18-person media panel.
Phil Ivey, who has amassed by far the most in live tournament earnings among the 10 nominees (over $23 million) and who is by far the most recognizable name among them has undiniably the best chance of getting in. The only reason he wasn’t picked until now is the age requirement they introduced back in 2011 which dictates that a player has to be at least 40 to be eligible. The rule came in response to the popular demand for the then 23-year-old online poker star Tom Dwan two years before, in 2009.
Some of this year’s nominees did more away from the tables for the great game of poker: Matt Savage is a tournament director who did great work for the WSOP during his time there, and Mori Eskandani produced poker TV shows like Poker After Dark.
David "Devilfish" Ulliot, WSOP gold bracelet winner and WPT champion received a posthumous nomination. He passed away in 2015.
The PHOF Council makes it clear what they are looking for during their selection process. Their manifesto says about the criteria for Poker Hall of Famers are:
"- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
– Be a minimum of 40 years old at time of nomination
– Played for high stakes
– 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."
These will be the deciding factors that determine who will be the two new additions for Poker Hall of Fame. Last year’s choices were Todd Brunson and Carlos Mortensen.
