The following people have been inducted into the vpFREE Video Poker Hall of Fame: Dean Zamzow (2002). Gary Catlin (2002). Lenny Frome (2002). Si Redd (2002). Stanford Wong (2002). Dan Paymar (2003). Bob Dancer (2004). Jean Scott (2005). Skip Hughes (2006). Michael Shackleford (2007). For many poker players, Tom McEvoy holds a special place in poker history. In 1983 the then 38-year-old became the first person to win the World Series of Poker Main Event after winning his way in a satellite. Now it seems he’s selling off the bracelet he earned for that victory and a.

Benny Binion was always looking for a way to market his Horseshoe Casino. In the past, he had created such events as the Johnny Moss/Nick the Greek heads-up matchup and the legendary World Series of Poker to garner interest in making the trip to his casino.

In 1979, he wanted a permanent attraction for his casino. He wanted something that would fit in with other attractions such as his $1 million display of $10,000 bills as well as his gambling attractions.

He decided that he’d create the Poker Hall of Fame.

The rights to the Poker Hall of Fame were sold to Caesars Entertainment (then known as Harrah’s) with the rights to the World Series of Poker. The administrators of the WSOP currently handle all aspects of the Poker Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Induction Criteria

Before 2009, there were no defined criteria to nominate or induct a person into the Poker Hall of Fame. This changed in 2009. The commissioner at the time, Jeffrey Pollack, announced criteria as well as the fact that nominations could be made by the general public.

The current criteria from membership into the Poker Hall of Fame are:

The nominee must be at least 40 years old
The nominee must have consistently played well
The nominee must have played for high stakes
The nominee must have the respect of his or her peers
The nominee must have played against recognized top competitors
The nominee must have stood the test of time
In the case of a non-player, the nominee must have contributed to the overall success and growth of the game of poker with positive and lasting results.

Inaugural Class – 1979

The first class was the largest class of the Poker Hall of Fame. It consisted of seven inductees, six of whom were inducted posthumously.

Edmond Hoyle (1672 – August 29, 1769) – Inducted posthumously, Edmond Doyle is the godfather of all things playing cards related. Although he died 60 years before poker was invented, he was inducted because his rules were the authoritative work on playing Whist, the most popular card game of his time. His name is synonymous with being an authority on a subject.

James “Wild Bill” Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876) – He was known for many things in his life, including being a Union Army soldier, a spy for the Union, a scout, lawman, gunfighter, and actor. But he was one of the best poker players of his era. He was shot in the back in 1876 while playing poker. He was said to have a pair of aces and a pair of 8s. This became known as a “dead man’s hand.”

Sidney “Sid” Wyman (June 1, 1910 – June 26, 1978) – Sid died a year before he was inducted and was a friend and competitor to Benny Binion. Wyman was an excellent poker player and owned the Sands, Riviera, Royal Nevada, and The Dunes Hotels and Casinos.

J.H. “Red” Winn (1896 – Unknown) – Not much is known about Red Winn. He played in the early 20th century and was known as a great player in his time.

Felton “Corky” McCorquodale (August 23, 1904 – November 23, 1968) – Corky’s main claim to fame is that he introduced Texas hold’em to Las Vegas. He first introduced it in the now-defunct California Club in 1963. He was also known as a great no-limit player.

Nick “the Greek” Dandolos (April 27, 1883 – December 25, 1966) – Nick the Greek was a logical choice for Binion to induct into the first Poker Hall of Fame class as he had set up a heads-up match against fellow inductee Johnny Moss in 1949. The two played every known variation of poker at the time. It lasted for five months and was an attraction that Binion featured in his casino.

In his career, Nick stated that he went “from rags to riches” 73 times. He is estimated to have made half a billion dollars in his lifetime. He died almost penniless but still managed to play $5 limit draw games when he could.

Johnny Moss (May 14, 1907 – December 16, 1995) – Johnny Moss was the only person in the Class of 1979 not to be inducted posthumously. Moss was known as “The Grand Old Man of Poker.” He won three of the first five World Series of Poker Main Events (1970, 1971, and 1974). He played in every WSOP from 1970 until his death in 1995. He was the oldest bracelet winner in the history of the event. He has documented tournament winnings of over $1.2 million, but it is likely much higher than that.

Class of 1980

T. “Blondie” Forbes – A famous poker player and gambler, Forbes is noted for creating the game of Texas hold’em.

Class of 1981

William “Bill” Boyd (January 27, 1906 – November 21, 1997) – Known for his job as the manager of the Golden Nugget card room from its opening in 1948 until it closed in 1988, Boyd also racked up four bracelets at the WSOP in 5-Card Stud events. He was responsible for adding the game Omaha to the Golden Nugget and the spread of its popularity in Las Vegas.

Class of 1982

Tom Abdo (April 12, 1894 – March 1967) – He was famous for having a heart attack at a poker table and asking another player to count his chips and to save his seat, with the intention of returning to the game.

Class of 1983

Joe Bernstein (January 5, 1899 – November 12, 1975) – Bernstein was a poker player and gambler who won the 1973 WSOP Limit Ace to 5 Draw.

Class of 1984

Murph Harrold – While not much information is available about Harrold, he was regarded as one of the best 2 to 7 lowball poker players ever.

Class of 1985

Red Hodges – Hodges was considered one of the best 7-Card Stud players of all time.

Class of 1986

Henry Green – He traveled the South as a road gambler. Not much more is known about him.

Class of 1987

Walter “Puggy” Pearson (January 29, 1929 – April 12, 2006) – He won the 1973 WSOP Main Event as well as two other WSOP bracelets. He’s credited with inventing the freeze-out style of poker tournament.

Class of 1988

Doyle Brunson – Brunson is known for having written the definitive book on playing poker, Super/System. He’s won 10 WSOP bracelets and has had 37 money finishes since the first WSOP in 1970, including two Main Event wins in 1976 and 1977. His lifetime live tournament winnings amount to $6,176,737.

Jack “Treetop” Straus (June 16, 1930 – August 17, 1988) – Straus was best known for his WSOP Main Event win in 1982. In the tournament, he was down to one chip, and he went on to win the entire event. Straus died while playing a high-stakes poker game at the Bicycle Casino.

Class of 1989

Fred “Sarge” Ferris (December 1, 1928 – March 12, 1989) – Ferris won his only WSOP bracelet in the 1980 2-7 draw event. He defeated Doyle Brunson, who came in second, and 1980 WSOP Main Event winner Bobby Baldwin, who placed third. Ferris was known mostly for cash games but chalked up a few tournaments wins, giving him a lifetime live tournament cash total of about $250,000.

Class of 1990

Lester “Benny” Binion (November 20, 1904 – December 25, 1989) – He was the founder of the Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, the World Series of Poker, and the Poker Hall of Fame.

Class of 1991

David “Chip” Reese (March 28, 1951 – December 4, 2007) – Regarded as the greatest cash poker player of all time, Chip Reese won four WSOP bracelets and collaborated on the 7-card stud section of Doyle Brunson’s book Super/System. At 40 years old, he was the youngest inductee to the Poker Hall of fame. In 2009, the “Chip Reese Rule” established the minimum age of 40 to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Class of 1992

Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston Jr. (December 31, 1928 – April 29, 2012) – Amarillo Slim became synonymous with poker from the 1970s on. He won the 1972 WSOP Main Event. He won four bracelets in the WSOP and had 11 money finishes. He founded the Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker, which was second only to the W

Members Of Poker Hall Of Fame