The WSOP has announced a major shake-up to the Poker Hall of Fame. Now, instead of only having one person go in every year, multiple people can be inducted.
Instead of selecting a single inductee from a shortlist, the 33 living Hall of Fame members will each have four votes. Any nominee who receives at least 22 votes will be inducted. If nobody reaches that threshold, the highest vote-getter will be inducted.
I think this is a great change for poker because the one-inductee system has effectively shut out many deserving industry contributors. Matt Savage is the most obvious example – he's been nominated year after year, and never been inducted.
You may be thinking, "You're an industry person, so you're biased." That's fair. I am. But I also think the same dynamic exists on the other side.
Let’s break it down
Poker players are the ones deciding who gets into the Hall of Fame, and they are also biased – towards other players.
I've always believed there's a space in our Hall of Fame for tournament directors and other industry contributors.
But if you look at someone like Matt Savage – who is my Michael Jordan of tournament directors – he keeps getting nominated, but never gets in. What message does that send?
It tells everyone trying to make a difference in this industry that there is no path into the Hall of Fame for them.
Not just for them, but for the younger people coming up in poker. I want them to feel like they have something to strive for. Something they can work toward by being great at what they do.
Savage founded the Tournament Directors Association, which helped establish a standardized rules framework for tournament poker worldwide. Today, players can travel from one venue to another with a reasonable expectation that key rulings and procedures will be consistent.
That's something that's had a massive impact on poker and doesn't get talked about enough.
Why I support the new system
I've always wanted to see a structure to the Hall of Fame that makes it possible for industry people to be inducted. Contributions at the table and contributions behind the scenes should not have to compete for the same single spot every year.
So, in short, I'm a big fan of the new system.
Poker's growth has always depended on more than just great players. If the Hall of Fame recognizes these contributions more consistently, it won't just honor the past – it will encourage the next generation to keep pushing poker forward.
If that happens, poker will be better for it. That's what I'm rooting for.
Justin Hammer is the Live Events Director for PokerAtlas, an online tournament director for the Texas-based poker app Hijack, and a tournament director at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. He also works as a consultant and is a minority owner of Desert Bluffs Casino in Kennewick, Washington.
For more info visit PokerAtlas.com, HijackPoker.com, and bluffs.poker. Follow Justin on X.
