The public polls are closed for the 2010 Poker Hall of Fame nominations, with voting winding down on the final day of August. This marks the end of a two month long deluge of internet balloting. In total, there were 102 players who received votes from the public, 44 of which garnered multiple nominations. While they may not have made the final ten, each is still eligible for future induction.
As voted upon by the public, the final voting results were as follows:
1. Chris Ferguson
2. Barry Greenstein
3. Jennifer Harman-Traniello
4. Dan Harrington
5. Phil Ivey
6. Linda Johnson
7. Tom McEvoy
8. Daniel Negreanu
9. Scotty Nguyen
10. Erik Seidel
The above listing is arranged alphabetically, not in accordance with the amount of votes received.
A gaming institution since 1979, the Poker Hall of Fame has been a part of the Harrah’s Entertainment family since 2004. Only the best in the game are considered for enshrinement in this virtual establishment. Currently, there are 16 living players, bringing the inductee total to 38. According to the WSOP (which was another of Harrah’s purchases in ’04), the induction ceremony is held annually, at a time concurrent with the running of the Main Event’s final table.
The requirements for induction, as listed on the WSOP’s website, are as follows:
* A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
* 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.
Following their selection by the public, each of these candidates will then be evaluated by each of the living players already in the Hall of Fame, as well as a 17 person media panel. Only they can decide whether or not a nominee will be enshrined.