Do you still get to be Kid Poker if you’re at this point in your career? (Photo by Erik Kabik | Retna)

Yes, Cooperstown has the high-profile status and the cool building and the plaques and some rad memorabilia, but while getting elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame earns you the right to have your name forever etched next to Luke “Old Aches and Pains” Appling, getting elected to the Poker Hall of Fame puts you in the company of “Wild” Bill “I Will Murder You In a Duel Because I Owe You Money and Also My Nickname Is ‘Wild’ ” Hickock.

Up for consideration this year are Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Phil Ivey, Tom McEvoy, Men Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu and Mike Sexton. To be considered for the Hall, a player must play for high stakes, play consistently well, stand the test of time or, for non-players, contribute to the overall growth and success of the game, plus be courteous, kind, obedient, thrifty, cheerful and brave. To be fair, that last part is just if you want the sweet pair of khaki shorts and merit badge for gambling.

To get in, 23 of 30 votes from 15 living Hall of Fame members and the 15-member Media Panel are needed. Among the media voters are representatives from Wicked Chops Poker, ESPN.com, Card Player Magazine and others.

The induction ceremony will be Nov. 7 at the Rio during the dinner break of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table. We’re curious what the side action will look like right before the final announcement. Last year, Dewey Tomko and Henry Orenstein were inducted while 2007 saw Phil Hellmuth and Barbara Enright join the Hall. There are 37 inductees in total from Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim to Roger Moore. Not that Roger Moore, though, which is too bad because every Hall of Fame should get at least one James Bond. The Hockey Hall of Fame would probably get stuck with George Lazenby.

By Jason Scavone

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