WSOP Hall of Fame, Part 2

In the first article, we focused on the two relative youngsters in the running for the Poker Hall of Fame, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu, for whom the "test of time" criterion proved to be a stumbling block this year, although their talent and contributions to the game of poker will likely someday guarantee them a place. The remaining seven certainly played long enough, but the question remained whether they did enough to justify induction in 2009.

Mike Sexton has made as big a splash away from the poker tables as at them. The host of the World Poker Tour since its inception and a recent trial expert witness on poker, Sexton is rightfully considered the Ambassador of Poker. He is also a respected player. His stud bracelet, forty-five WSOP cashes, and his win at the 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions show that this commentator not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk. It was little surprise that his accomplishments were celebrated this year.

Barry Greenstein is a dominating high stakes cash player as well as a successful tournament player with three WSOP bracelets, forty-four cashes, and thirteen final table appearances in addition to six WPT final tables and two titles. He is a contributor to Doyle Brunson's Super System 2, the author of the well-received Ace on the River, and co-founder of PokerRoad.com. Greenstein is nicknamed the "Robin Hood of Poker" for his charitable donation of a portion of his tournament winnings.

Erik Seidel's Full Tilt Poker commercial says it all. He quietly plays poker while his eight WSOP bracelets jingle loudly on his arm. Only four other players have more WSOP wins than Seidel, and they are all in the Hall of Fame. With fifty-seven WSOP cashes and two main event final table appearances, Seidel is one of the most respected players in poker and though he was not elected this year, he figures to be inducted in the future.

While "Action" Dan Harrington may not have the number of bracelets and cashes as others in this group, he has some accomplishments that put him in a class by himself. Harrington won the WSOP main event in 1995 and finished seventeenth the next year. He is one of only a handful who has won both the WSOP main event and a WPT title. But it was his back-to-back main event final tables at the beginning of the poker boom in 2003 and 2004 that solidified his position as a devastating tournament player.

A somewhat surprising main event winner up for consideration was Tom McEvoy, who has three other WSOP bracelets in Omaha, limit hold 'em, and razz. McEvoy came back to center stage this year with his win at the inaugural Champions Invitational, but has been mostly out of the spotlight. A prolific columnist and writer of poker strategy guides, McEvoy was not inducted, though he may be chosen in the future.

Men "the Master" Nguyen is known as much for tutoring other players as for his own prowess at the table. He has sixty-five WSOP cashes, including thirty-seven final tables and six titles, plus twelve WPT cashes and four final tables. Yet, he has been hounded by claims of cheating, by himself and by his protégés, which probably dampened enthusiasm for this talented player.

Similarly dogged by issues unrelated to his poker abilities is Scotty Nguyen. Main event winner in 1988, he seemed destined for a repeat in 2007 before giving away all his chips just before the final table. Like Harrington, he has a WPT title to go along with his WSOP championship and has five bracelets and thirty-seven cashes in total. But it was his drunken and belligerent behavior at the 2008 HORSE final table that left an indelible mark that may obscure his obvious abilities.

Shari Geller is an attorney, journalist, reporter, blogger, poker player, and observer of the poker scene. You can write her at BurnThis2@aol.com, and read her blog at www.burnthistoo.blogspot.com.