The poker world has changed a great deal over the last 15 years and a wider audience of people pays attention to the game. Prior to the poker boom the people deciding who would be nominated and inducted into the poker hall of fame had intimate knowledge of the players and who made the most sense. Today that’s all been blurred by the process. Prior to the poker boom the people deciding who would be nominated and inducted into the poker hall of fame had intimate knowledge of the players and who made the most sense. Today that's all been. The WSOP Poker Hall of Fame is often a point of contention in the community and now Daniel Negreanu wants to make some changes to reflect the current state of the game. Every year the community. NEGREANU’s thoughts on the Poker Hall of Fame The Poker Hall of Fame recently released its list of nominees for the 2015 class. Among the possible inductees were 2001 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Carlos Mortensen, five-time WSOP bracelet winner and recent EPTChampion John Juanda, two-time WSOP bracelet winner Jennifer Harman and and legendary British. Daniel Negreanu has never been shy to share his opinions on poker (and non-poker) related matters. With the Poker Hall of Fame inductions looming, he recently published a blog in which he explains how he perceives the entire institution and how the decision making process should work with regard to the existing criteria.
Daniel Negreanu has never been one to keep his feelings about poker matters to himself. Now that Todd Brunson and Carlos Mortensenhave been elected to the Poker Hall of Fame, he has something to say about the Hall’s election process. To be sure, Negreanu has no problem with the men who were elected – he calls them “both gentlemen friends and tough players.” What Negreanu would like to see changed are some of the eligibility requirements and the method by which the finalists are chosen.
![Poker Poker](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125203465/642036306.jpg)
In his blog on Full Contact Poker, Negreanu detailed the adjustments he suggests for the Poker Hall of Fame eligibility criteria. First, let’s review the criteria that are in place right now:
• 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.
• 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.
Covering the last one first, Negreanu said that non-players, or “builders” as they are often called, should be considered separately from players:
I also find it difficult to vote for someone in the builder category when it takes up a spot that a player may have gotten. Since builders represent a small percentage of the nominees, my suggestion to address this is to induct a builder once every 4 years in addition to the two players that go in annually. That way people like Matt Savage, Steve Lipscomb, John Duthie, Bruno Fitoussi and others would compete against each other in this category and not be judged against players. It’s quite difficult to judge apples and oranges, so just the apples against the apples, and the oranges against the oranges.
He also wants to reword the criterion slightly to add more clarity.
Daniel Negreanu Poker Lessons
Clarity is a common theme amongst Negreanu’s desired changes. When it comes to “top competition,” he wrote, “What defines top competition exactly? When the Hall of Fame was created, this could only happen if a player played the highest stakes cash games against the world’s best players. Since the 70’s poker has changed a great deal. You have online poker skills, tournament players, and a wide range of stakes that could be considered high stakes.”
Negreanu concluded that the “top competition” requirement should just be removed, as it is a given that if someone is good enough to be considered for the Hall of Fame, they will have played against the best players in the world.
Similarly, Negreanu wants to define “high stakes” as tournaments with buy-ins above $10,000, Fixed-Limit cash games of $400-$800 and above, and No-Limit cash games of $25-$50 and higher.
He aimed for similar clarity for the “played consistently well” and “stood the test of time” criteria, which are obviously quite subjective. In the end, Daniel Negreanu came up with a revised set of requirements for the Poker Hall of Fame:
1. Must Be a minimum of 40 years old at time of nomination
2. Played for High Stakes.
-Tournaments with buy ins over $10,000
-Limit Cash games $400-$800 and above
-No Limit Cash games of $25-$50 and above
3. Their poker skills are well respected by their peers
4. They were exceptional in at least one of these areas:
-Cash Games
-Tournaments
-Online Poker
5. Stood the test of time over a period of 15 years or more
2. Played for High Stakes.
-Tournaments with buy ins over $10,000
-Limit Cash games $400-$800 and above
-No Limit Cash games of $25-$50 and above
3. Their poker skills are well respected by their peers
4. They were exceptional in at least one of these areas:
-Cash Games
-Tournaments
-Online Poker
5. Stood the test of time over a period of 15 years or more
As for the nomination and final voting process, Negreanu isn’t thrilled with the finalists being selected by a public nomination process because a fan vote basically boils down to a “popularity contest.” He would like it tweaked to allow four finalists selected by fans and six selected by the media and Hall of Fame voting panel.
Speaking of which, those 44 living Hall of Famers and media members currently get to submit ten votes split up amongst any finalists they would like. Negreanu feels that this “gives voting blocks far too much power” and would like it changed to allowing voters to select just two finalists, ranking them as a first choice and second choice.
Nominations are now open for the Poker Hall of Fame (PHoF) Class of 2018. Established in 1979, the PHoF is currently composed of 54 names, including 25 living members. One of the criteria for nominees is that they be at least 40 years old, meaning most of today’s stars are ineligible, many for at least another decade.
Take Justin Bonomo for example. He’ll turn 33 on September 30, so he’s got more than seven years before he’s eligible. Likewise, Daniel Colman and Fedor Holz, who are just 27 and 24 respectively, have more than a decade before they qualify. Even so, the trio has all experienced incredible successes in recent years and have storied careers.
Poker Hall Of Fame Daniel Negreanu
We recently highlighted the incredible years of Holz and Bonomo, who currently sit sixth ($26,550,884) and third ($32,787,759) respectively on the all-time money list. As for Colman, he sits in fourth place with $28,925,059 in earnings.
Daniel Negreanu
We decided to ask some folks around the Rio for their thoughts on whether or not what Bonomo, Holz, and Colman have accomplished thus far is enough to get them in the PHoF when they’re eligible.
“I’d say Fedor and Bonomo likely, Colman definitely not,” said Daniel Negreanu, who was inducted into the PHoF in 2014. “Part of the PHoF is standing the test of time.
Negeanu: 'Imagine 15 years from now, would people think of him and think he deserves to be in?”
Daniel Colman clearly came out in force but I don’t think you can say a three-year career is standing the test of time. Not that he couldn’t be successful now, but when someone walks away from the game for the most part, I think that would be hard. Imagine 15 years from now, would people think of him and think he deserves to be in?”
He continued: “It feels like Fedor and Bonomo likely, although the way in which the poker world has changed so much with all the high rollers, there’s gonna be someone every year who does that. Maybe not at that level in terms of numbers, but it’s just standard deviation, it’s supposed to happen. The question is; will they continue to do it? If so, for sure. If they never win another thing in their life, they probably won’t.”
Scott Seiver
Scott Seiver, who sits tenth on poker’s all-time money list with $23,187,244 in earnings, echoed those sentiments.
“I would say the people you’ve named would if they continue to play until they’re eligible,” he said on a break from the $1,500 Eight Game Mix. “Right now, I would guess Dan Colman should not, given it seems he’s out of the game.
Seiver: 'I would say talent wise and results wise 100% yes, but I think longevity is important.”
I think a major aspect of the game should be longevity. There’s always going to be someone that the greatest of their time, of the year, or of their era even. But there’s something about still being able to play, to ante up, for 10-15 years that’s a real lynchpin of what the PHoF means. I would say talent wise and results wise 100% yes, but I think longevity is important.”
Jim McManus
In order to be inducted into the PHoF, the list of nominees is sent to existing members and a blue-ribbon media panel who then cast votes to determine that year’s class. One man who has been a member of the panel for the past 15 years, is poker author Jim McManus.
“I think they are still in their primes, just in their mid to late twenties,” he said when asked about the triumvirate. “If they maintain anything resembling their current pace they do. They’re among the greatest players of their generations. The people who are beating cash and tournaments at high stakes, when they turn 40 and have done it for a decade and a half, they’re definitely the kind of people you’d want to vote for.”
McManus: 'I also feel strongly that we need a physical place to display plaques and others items.'
McManus’ books, Positively Fifth Street and Cowboys Full, are among the most popular poker books ever written and make him an expert of sorts on poker history. McManus, who has hinted at a follow up to Positively Fifth Street (his chapter contribution in Anthony Holden’s recently-released book, He Played for His Wife and Other Stories, is a preview of said sequel), also shares his thoughts on this year’s Poker Hall of Fame.
“I feel that poker writer, like David Sklansky, Herbert O. Yardley, and Al Alvarez should be considered. Baseball has writers in its Hall of Fame. Obviously, I have a personal interest. Poker wouldn’t be the only Hall that has people who narrate the game on tv and in books and articles. I also feel strongly that we need a physical place to display plaques and others items. I don’t know where it would go, but it’s a natural thing for a Hall of Fame where people can go and visit it.”
Public nominations for the Poker Hall of Fame are now open. Ten nominees will be selected from among the submitted names, and ultimately either one or two people will be enshrined in the Class of 2018, which will take place during the WSOP Main Event final table.
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Daniel ColmanDaniel NegreanuFedor HolzJustin BonomoPoker Hall of FameWSOPScott SeiverWorld Series of PokerRelated Tournaments
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Daniel NegreanuJustin BonomoScott SeiverDaniel ColmanFedor Holz