The Poker Hall of Fame has narrowed the list of nominees for the 2009 Class and all that remains is for the 15 living Hall of Fame members and the 15-member Media Panel to cast their votes before we know the inductees.
A total of nine people remain eligible for induction in 2009.
The Induction Ceremony will be part of a special Hall of Fame dinner ceremony on Saturday, November 7 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas during the dinner break of the Main Event Final Table.
The eligible candidates, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
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BARRY GREENSTEIN
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DAN HARRINGTON
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PHIL IVEY
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TOM McEVOY
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MEN NGUYEN
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SCOTTY NGUYEN
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DANIEL NEGREANU
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ERIK SEIDEL
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MIKE SEXTON
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The voters must determine who among the above list most deserves to be inducted this year. The additional criteria they will consider in their vote are as follows:
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A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
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Played for high stakes
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Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
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Stood the test of time
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Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.
The Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council commented on Tom Dwan, an initial nominee in 2009: "With all due respect to Mr. Dwan, one of the games most exciting young players, he does not currently meet the criteria for Hall of Fame selection. We wish him well and expect he will again be considered once he has ‘stood the test of time.’"
Names on the finalist list but not receiving more than 75% of the votes this year will still be eligible for induction in the future.
The voting members will receive their ballots this week and have until October 2, 2009 to submit their completed forms.
Current Hall of Fame members also have the ability to add a write-in candidate – someone they feel deserves consideration for the PHOF – but were not among the list of finalists this year. This write-in candidate will be added to the 2010 nomination list automatically.
For the first time, the inductees will be invited to a special dinner held and hosted in their honor where they will give their induction speech and be awarded their commemorative trophy. All nine of the above finalists will be invited to the dinner, and room will be reserved for additional family, friends, the current Hall of Famers and the media voting panel.
A select handful of seats will be made available to the public via the dinner’s presenting sponsor, JAQK Cellars. For more information on how to be part of this special evening, visit: http://jaqkcellars.com/wine-poker-hall-of-fame-dinner/high-roller-and-world-series-of-poker-vip-ticket