Women in Poker Hall of Fame

Because I am a poker playin' gal, I thought this article in today's issue of Poker Player Newspaper would be perfect for my 300th post.

Please note that though the deadline for nominating women players (April 30th) has passed, the public will be able to vote on the selected nominees. Also, while May 11th was a week ago, I visited the websites and no names have been posted so we can't vote yet but I imagine they'll be up fairly soon.

In the same issue Diane McHaffie, who is Director of Operations at Mike Caro University of Poker, Gaming, and Life Strategy, has written Part 1 of a two part article about the history of women and poker. Fascinating stuff.

So, who do you think should elected into the prestigious Women in Poker Hall of Fame this year?
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Let’s Hear it for the Ladies
by Shari Geller


In a bold step to give poker fans a bigger say acknowledging the greats on the distaff side of the game, nominations have been opened to the general public for the 2010 Women in Poker Hall of Fame. The public can log on to www.WomenInPokerHallofFame.com or www.WiPHoF.com and submit up to three names for consideration. The public’s vote counts towards 50 percent of the results, nominations from member will account for the other half.
　
Those inducted this year will join an illustrious group of women poker pros including the inaugural class of 2008: Marsha Waggoner, Linda Johnson, Susie Isaacs and Barbara Enright—and the three added last year—June Field, Jan Fisher and Cyndy Violette.
　
Eligibility depends on four criteria: a candidate must have been active as a player or industry leader for a minimum of 15 years; she must have contributed to the world of poker in some significant way; she must have either won a major tournament or made significant contributions to the poker industry; and, she must have been a proponent of women’s poker, supporting women’s events in some way.
　
Who figures to make the cut? There are a couple big names that are just at the edge of the fifteen year minimum. Jennifer Harman is a regular on the TV circuit, holds two WSOP bracelets, one final table finish in a Ladies’ only event on the World Poker Tour, and is considered one of the best players of either gender playing today. Her real expertise is in high stakes cash games. Harman’s only problem is that she has only limited participation in Ladies’ events and prefers the larger prize pool in the open events.
　
Harman’s closest competitor for title "most famous woman poker player" would have to be Annie Duke. She has a leg up on the competition for her efforts to promote herself and, by extension, poker. Whether battling to be the Celebrity Apprentice to Donald Trump or competing against her fellow Ultimate Bet sponsored player, Phil Hellmuth, Duke has turned her poker prowess into reality TV fame. But her accomplishments on the felt should not be overshadowed by her celebrity. She won a WSOP bracelet in Omaha/8 and beat out a veritable Who’s Who of poker’s best to win the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. But Duke, like Harman, has not been as active in women’s events, which might diminish her chances this year.
　
Kathy Liebert, with lifetime winning topping $5 million, a WSOP bracelet, and six WPT final tables, is a feared competitor who also has six cashes in Ladies’ events in addition to the nearly 200 cashes in open events, including one million dollar cash that was the then-largest cash by a woman poker player. She is relatively young, and that may work against her.
　
Maria Stern may not be a household name, but her first tournament resulted in a fourth place finish at the 1992 WSOP Ladies event and five years later she went on to win her only WSOP bracelet, beating a field that included Tom McEvoy, Corey Zeidman, and Ted Forrest in the 7-card stud event. Since devotion to the cause of Ladies’ poker is a crucial criterion for induction into the Hall of Fame, Stern may actually be the most likely inductee this year. She has five other money finishes in Ladies’ events, more than the other ladies on the list, to go along with her success in open events.
　
If you want your voice heard, you can nominate a player by April 30; after May 11, the final list of nominees as winnowed down by the Board will be out and you can vote for your favorite player. Induction to the 2010 Women in Poker Hall of Fame will take place on September 3rd in Las Vegas.

Interesting. For me it has to be Jennifer Harman or Annie Duke. Both have done a lot to support poker overall and have been very prominent female players helping pave the way to make it more comfortable and acceptable for women to be successful as poker players.

Jen for sure. She's proved that women can do it as good as the boys - and better than most of them. The best female player in the world, top 5 players in the world possibly, top 10 definately.

Are the boys allowed to vote?

I think Vanessa Rousso is my favourite female poker player, but still can us guys vote¿

Who are your favourite guys?

Annette Obredstadt obviously & without question!!! (joking obviously... but non doubt one day).

I'd have to say Kathy Liebert. I respect her game above the others (tournament play).

Jennifer Tilly has to be my favorite...something about that voice. Sometimes when I'm watching her on PAD I close my eyes and pretend I'm Chucky and we're alone in a closet waitin for someone to slice up...but that's another story.

Seriously though, have you seen Vanessa Selbst? She's wicked when she's the big stack. Saw her on one of the shows-she's going to law school and she has a hot girlfriend too.
You can't forget Clonie Gowen,JJ liu, Liv Boeree, Kristi Gazes, or Mimi Tran.

Beat me to it.

Annie Duke and Kathy Liebert are the two that immediately come to mind.

Overall I like Jennifer, if just for Tournament Kathy then Jennifer. Annie is up there too.

Vanessa Selbst should definitely be in there

I would say Vanessa Rousso and Jennifer Harman. Both of them very good/smart and nice pro players.

As to whether men can vote, the article said: "The public’s vote counts towards 50 percent".

Last I looked, the public consisted of males and females and every variation in between so I would say yes!

For reasons already mentioned, Annie, Jennifer and Kathy (in alphabetical order) are my picks. The other gals mentioned are terrific too but I don't think any of them fulfill the 15 year rule yet.

1.Kathy Liebert
2.Jennifer Harmen
3.Annie Duke
I think these 3 are the best and have done much more for women in poker in the open events than any of these women that play primarily just ladies events! I think Kathy might be top 10 all time men included,if not already then by the time she has finished playing!!!