The WSOP has just announced the list of the ten finalists for thе 2015 Poker Hall of Fame Class. Established back in 1979, it already has a total of 48 members and this year, two more poker personalities are expected to join this elite group.
The 2015 Poker Hall of Fame Class is constituted by Bruno Fitoussi, Carlos Mortensen, Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, who passed away earlier this year, Jennifer Harman, John Juanda, Matt Savage, Max Pescatori, and Terry Rogers.
Six of all ten finalists have previously been nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame and it was only luck that prevented them from being inducted at an earlier stage. As for Rogers, Ulliott, Pescatori, and Savage, they received their first nomination.
As mentioned above, the Poker Hall of Fame already has 48 members, with 23 of them still living. The list of this year’s ten nominees will be given to those 23 members as well as to a special media panel consisting of 16 members. They will be expected to determine the 2015 inductees.
Both players and non-players need to meet certain criteria in order to become members of the Poker Hall of Fame. For instance, players need to be at least 40 years old at the time they have been nominated. In addition, they should have played against prominent peers and for high stakes. They also need to be consistent and highly respected by fellow poker players.
As for non-players, they need to have major contributions to the further popularization and growth of the game of poker.
The name or the names of this year’s inductees will be announced during the WSOP Main Event final table, which is to be played on November 7-10. A special induction dinner will be held at the Binion’s Gambling Hall.
And here is a little bit more information about each of the ten nominees who constitute the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2015:
Bruno Fitoussi
At the age of 56, Fitoussi is a successful poker player and one of the most active ambassadors of the game in his home country France. He was the one to introduce Texas Hold’em to the country back in 1995. Furthermore, Fitoussi is to a great extent responsible for getting the game televised in France. Over the past several years, he could be seen as commentator in a number of poker-related shows.
As for his poker achievements, his live tournament winnings amount to more than $2.7 million. In 2001, he won the first-ever World Heads-Up Poker Championship. In 2007, the Frenchman finished 2nd in the WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship, thus proving himself equally good at all popular poker variations.
Carlos Mortensen
With live tournament winnings of more than $12 million, the player is indisputably one of the world’s most successful and popular poker professionals. Mortensen has cashed more money in the WPT than any other of his peers. His WTP winnings amount to $6.8 million. As for his WSOP earnings, they currently total $3.1 million.
It is also important to note that Mortensen, who is originally from Spain and now resides in Las Vegas, is the only player to have ever won both the WPT Championship and the WSOP Main Event.
Chris Bjorin
The 67-year-old Swede has won two WSOP gold bracelets over the years. His career winnings amount to $5.5 million. He ranks 6th in the WSOP all-time cash list with a total of 74 in-the-money finishes. It is also interesting to note that Bjorin has 7 WSOP Main Event cashes. The Swedish professional is currently 1st in Europe’s WSOP all-time money list.
David Chiu
The 55-year-old player, originally from China but now residing in the United States, is holder of 5 WSOP gold bracelets. He is a former dealer turned professional poker player. Chiu has collected almost $8 million in career tournament earnings. He won his best live cash in 2008 when he became the WPT World Champion and scooped the impressive first-place prize of $3.3 million.
David “Devilfish” Ulliott
Ulliott, who past away not long ago, was one of Britain’s most successful poker players and one of the brightest characters who could be spotted at the tables of a number of prestigious events. He won one WSOP gold bracelet and a WPT Main Event. His live tournament winnings amounted to $6.2 million, thus ranking 2nd in England’s all-time money list.
Jennifer Harman
Harman is one of the most successful and profitable female poker players. She has more than $2.7 million in live tournament winnings. In addition, she has appeared at two WPT final tables, 12 WSOP ones, and is the first woman to have won more than one gold bracelets in open WSOP events.
Through her involvement in poker, Harman has long been raising money for a number of charitable causes.
John Juanda
The 44-year-old Indonesian, who currently resides in the United States, has collected more than $17 million in live tournament earnings. He has won 5 WSOP gold bracelets, one EPT title, and a number of APT, PPT, and WPT events. Juanda has been one of the most successful and consistent players on the felt for the past two decades.
Matt Savage
Savage is among the most popular poker-related personalities around the globe. He has been tournament director for almost all of the world’s most prestigious poker tours and has significantly contributed to the positive image and the further growth of the game.
Savage is one of the Tournament Directors Association’s founders and has long been a vocal advocate for the introduction of standardized tournament rules. At present, he is a tournament director for San Jose’s Bay 101 Casino and Los Angeles’ Commerce Casino.
Max Pescatori
Pescatori is Italy’s most profitable poker player. His live tournament earnings amount to more than $4 million. In addition, he has won 4 WSOP gold bracelets, with 2 of them being collected this summer. Apart from his achievements on the felt, Pescatori is also an author of two poker strategy books.
Terry Rogers
Born in 1928, Rogers was one of the most influential poker-related personalities in Europe. He was the founder of The Eccentric Club and the Irish Poker Open, which is the second longest running tournament in the world, with the WSOP being the only standing before it.
Rogers is among the people who introduced Texas Hold’em to the European public. He himself appeared at the tables of various events. Rogers, who passed away back in 1999, was mentor of Ireland’s only WSOP Main Event champion – Noel Furlong.
