It is that time of years again, the time when poker gets serious, and looks at the names of players and people who deserve recognition for the part they have played in poker. The WSOP Hall of Fame is the name of the game, and it is not only Players who are acclaimed, also non-players who underwrite the success and growth of poker have an opportunity of being inducted. The criteria are:

1. Must have played against accredited competitors
2. Minimum of forty (40) years old when nominated
3. Must have been a high-stakes player
4. Gained the respect of peers – played poker consistently well
5. Stood the test-of- time
6. Non-players, – contribution to the overall success of poker. Must have indelible and positive results.

There are ten finalists this year, and there are also only ever a maximum of two winners. Mostly only one person wins. The induction class takes place during the course of the World Series of Poker Main Event, and all nominations were gathered during a public nomination process. The finalists will be decided upon and approved by the Governing Council of the WSOP Hall of Fame.

The Finalists are:

1. Jennifer Harman
2. John Juanda
3. Tom McEvoy
4. Scotty Nguyen – these first four have all been nominated before
5. Six first-timers — Chris Bjorin a sixty-four-year-old Swedish-born player residing in London. Bjorin’s earnings are over $5 million, and he is a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner – has seven WSOP Main Event cashes.
6. David Chiu – moved to the US as an eighteen year old exchange student from China. He started in poker as a dealer – was originally a Colorado restaurateur. Chiuin – now fifty-two years old – has transitioned into one of the most successful tournament players in recent poker history. He is a four-time WSOP gold-bracelet winner, with cashes in fifty-four events.
7. Eric Drache – a poker career which stands head and shoulders above many. He has made five WSOP final tables, ending in the top three each time, but also served as the tournament director at one stage. He is responsible for various innovations in the WSOP event, and has worn many hats in the Las Vegas poker industry. Our money is on this man receiving induction.
8. Thor Hansen – A Norwegian poker pro who has cashed in a mahoosive one-hundred and seventy- five tournaments and earned $2.9 million. Known as the “Godfather” of Norwegian poker in Europe, he has 2 WSOP gold bracelets and has contributed massively to the EU poker scene.
9. George Hardie – The only non-poker player, but has never-the-less left a lasting impression on the character of the game. He stood at the centre of the poker boom on the West Coast, and built-up the largest poker club in the world during the 1980’s.
10. Brian "Sailor" Roberts. Was nominated at the final hour, in writing, but another Hall of Fame inductee. He is well-known as one of the “good guys” of the game, and apparently there aren’t all that many.