The Women in Poker Hall of Fame is asking people to help decide who its next inductees should be.
The last class of the WiPHoF, as the organization calls itself, was inducted in 2018. That induction saw professional poker player and announcer Maria Ho and Woman’s Poker Association founder Lupe Soto recognized for their contributions to the game.
The initial Hall of Fame class of Barbara Enright, Linda Johnson, Marsha Waggoner, and Susie Isaacs was named in 2008. The WiPHoF now has 20 members.
‘Celebrating excellence, contribution, & performance’
Since its inception, the WiPHoF’s goal has been to “honor women in poker who have acquired prominence and have made contributions to the poker world.” As such, the organization is turning to the general public for input on which deserving players and industry insiders should be considered for induction later this year.
Nominations opened today and will close Thursday, Sept. 1. At the close of the nomination process, eight potential inductees will be chosen and ranked by the living Hall of Fame members, poker industry insiders, and media members, who have until Oct. 10, to choose their top three candidates.
The votes will then be tallied and the class of 2022 will be announced on Oct. 27. Those chosen for inclusion in the WiPHoF will be inducted on Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.
Eligibility requirements
According to the WiPHoF’s website, candidates must meet the following requirements:
- A candidate must have been active as a player or industry leader for a minimum of 10 years prior to nomination and 35 yrs of age or older
- A player/industry leader must have contributed to the world of poker in some significant way, either by winning major poker tournaments, gaining prominence through their poker success, or by making significant contributions to the industry of poker
- A player/industry leader candidate must be a proponent of women in poker (i.e., refrain from publicly criticizing women’s tournaments)
- All nominees must be approved by the Organization Committee and current Hall Members
Players to consider
While the WiPHoF regularly honors poker industry insiders, it’s the women who’ve made names — and successful careers — for themselves on the felt with whom most of us are most familiar. Some of those players not yet inducted into the Hall of Fame include:
- Vanessa Selbst, 38, is the all-time female tournament money leader with more than $11 million in winnings, according to Hendon Mob. Selbst will most likely receive some nominations even though she has stepped away from poker. Her last cash came in 2020.
- Kristen Bicknell, 35, is third on that list (behind HoF member Kathy Liebert) with $5.5 million in cashes. The three-time Global Poker Index Female Player of the Year — consecutively, by the way, starting in 2017 — should be at the top of any Hall of Fame short-list.
- Annie Duke rounds out the top five on the women’s all-time money list, though she divorced herself from the industry after her failed venture with the Epic Poker League. She recently wrote a book called “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away.”
- Liv Boeree, 38, made CardsChat’s list of top women players of 2022. She’s been part of the tournament poker world since at least 2010 and has a large online presence.
- Nadya Magnus, the most recent GPI Female Player of the Year will likely see some nominations. The 39-year-old professional player from Florida is as passionate about the game as anyone in the Hall of Fame and has more than $1.3 million in winnings.
Is there someone you think should be nominated who’s not on our list? Let us know in the comments.
