Membership
| Image | Year | Name Nickname |
WSOP Winnings | WSOP bracelets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Moss, JohnnyJohnny Moss† The Grand Old Man of Poker |
$7005824922000000000824,922 | 1970 World Series of Poker Championship 1971 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1971 Limit Ace to 5 Draw |
The first World Series of Poker was not a freeze-out tournament, but rather a game with a set start and stop time. Benny Binion took a secret ballot that asked the players who the best player was. According to poker lore, everybody said that they were the best player. Binion then asked who the second-best player was, and Johnny Moss won. | |
| — | 1979 | Dandolos, NickNick Dandolos† Nick the Greek |
$0 | None | According to poker lore, in the summer of 1949, in Nevada, Nick the Greek and Johnny Moss played in a five-month-long poker marathon at Binion's Horseshoe Casino. Nick the Greek reportedly lost about $2 million to Moss and on losing the final hand stood up and said, "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go." This heads-up match, which became a tourist attraction, is often cited as the earliest inspiration behind the World Series of Poker. |
| — | 1979 | McCorquodale, FeltonFelton McCorquodale† Corky |
$0 | None | McCorquodale is credited with introducing the game of Texas Hold'em to Las Vegas in 1963. |
| — | 1979 | Winn, RedRed Winn† | $0 | None | — |
| — | 1979 | Wyman, SidSid Wyman† | $0 | None | Wyman was a noted poker player and owner of several Vegas casinos: Sands, Riviera, Royal Nevada and The Dunes. |
| 1979 | Hickok, James ButlerJames Butler Hickok† Wild Bill Hickok |
$0 | None | Hickok was one of the best-known poker players in the world before the 20th century. He is one of three Poker Hall of Famers to die while playing poker (along with Tom Abdo and Jack Straus). Legend has it that when he was shot in the back in 1876, he was holding two aces and two eights. The hand has since been called the dead man's hand. | |
| 1979 | Hoyle, EdmondEdmond Hoyle† | $0 | None | After writing a book on the game of whist, the phrase "according to Hoyle" become synonymous in card games with following the rules. | |
| — | 1980 | Forbes, BlondieBlondie Forbes† | $0 | None | Forbes is credited with creating the game of Texas Hold'em. |
| — | 1981 | Boyd, BillBill Boyd† | $700480000000000000080,000 | 1971 $10,000 Limit Five Card Stud 1972 $10,000 Five Card Stud 1973 $10,000 Limit Five Card Stud 1974 $5,000 Five Card Stud |
Boyd was the Director of Operations at the Golden Nugget from 1946 to 1982. Boyd is credited with establishing Robert Turner's game Omaha hold 'em as a casino staple. |
| — | 1982 | Abdo, TomTom Abdo† | $0 | None | Abdo is one of three Poker Hall of Famers to die while playing poker (along with Wild Bill Hickok and Jack Straus). He died from a heart attack. According to legend, after suffering the heart attack, he asked another player to count his chips and to save his seat. |
| — | 1983 | Bernstein, JoeJoe Bernstein † | $700421000000000000021,000 | 1973 $10,000 Limit Ace to Five Draw | — |
| — | 1984 | Harrold, MurphMurph Harrold† | $0 | None | — |
| — | 1985 | Hodges, RedRed Hodges† | $0 | None | — |
| — | 1986 | Green, HenryHenry Green† | $0 | None | — |
| 1987 | Pearson, Walter ClydeWalter Clyde Pearson† Puggy |
$7005212100000000000212,100 | 1971 Limit Seven Card Stud 1973 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1973 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em 1973 $4,000 Limit Seven Card Stud |
Pearson is credited with coming up with the concept of a freeze-out tournament. | |
| 1988 | Brunson, DoyleDoyle Brunson Texas Dolly |
$70062830302000000002,830,302 | 1976 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1977 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1977 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1977 $1,000 Seven Card Stud Split 1978 $5,000 Seven Card Stud 1979 $600 Mixed Doubles (with Starla Brodie) 1991 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em 1998 $1,500 Seven Card Razz 2003 $2,000 H.O.R.S.E. 2005 $5,000 No Limit Shorthanded Texas Hold'em |
Brunson wrote Super/System, widely considered to be the most influential book ever written on poker. | |
| 1988 | Straus, JackJack Straus† Treetop |
$7005555000000000000555,000 | 1973 $3,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1982 $10,000 Championship Event - No Limit Hold'em |
Straus' 1982 WSOP tournament victory is considered to be one of the greatest comebacks in poker history. At one point, Straus had one chip remaining, and came back to win. This victory is considered to be the origin of the poker saying, "A chip and a chair", meaning that as long as a player has not been eliminated from the tournament, he or she still has a chance. Modern lore indicates that this happened at the final table, but the 1983 book The Biggest Game in Town implies this occurred on the first day of the tournament. Straus is one of three Hall of Famers to die while playing poker (along with Wild Bill Hickok and Tom Abdo). | |
| — | 1989 | Ferris, FredFred Ferris† Sarge |
$7005150000000000000150,000 | 1980 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | Ferris gained notoriety when the IRS seized $46,000 from him on April 22, 1983 while he was playing high stakes poker at the Horseshoe. |
| 1990 | Binion, BennyBenny Binion† | $0 | None | Founder of the Horseshoe Casino and the WSOP | |
| 1991 | Reese, DavidDavid Reese† Chip |
$70062230079000000002,230,079 | 1978 $1,000 Seven Card Stud Split 1982 $5,000 Limit 7 Card Stud 2006 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship |
Despite winning three bracelets, Reese was best known for his cash-game play. At 40 years old, he was the youngest person to be enshirined in the Poker Hall of Fame. | |
| 1992 | Preston, ThomasThomas Preston† Amarillo Slim |
$7005436748000000000436,748 | 1972 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1974 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em 1985 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 1990 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha |
After winning the WSOP in 1972, Slim sought to change the image of poker by appearing on national television and radio programs. Slim hosted the Super Bowl of Poker, considered the second most prestigious tournament at the time. | |
| — | 1993 | Keller, JackJack Keller† Gentleman Jack Keller |
$70061583845000000001,583,845 | 1984 $5,000 Seven Card Stud 1984 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1993 $1,500 Omaha Limit |
— |
| — | 1996 | Popwell, Julius OralJulius Oral Popwell† Little Man |
$0 | None | — |
| — | 1997 | Moore, RogerRoger Moore† | $7005337628000000000337,628 | 1994 $5,000 Limit 7 Card Stud | — |
| 2001 | Ungar, StuStu Ungar† The Kid |
$70062078838000000002,078,838 | 1980 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1981 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1981 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1983 $5,000 Seven Card Stud 1997 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship |
Ungar won back-to-back WSOP Main Event bracelets in 1980 and 1981, and won the event again in 1997. He and Johnny Moss are the only players to have won the main event three times. | |
| 2002 | Berman, LyleLyle Berman | $70061412649000000001,412,649 | 1989 $1,500 Limit Omaha 1992 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em 1994 $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw |
— | |
| 2002 | Chan, JohnnyJohnny Chan Orient Express The Great Wall of China |
$70064148868000000004,148,868 | 1985 $1,000 Limit Hold'em 1987 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1988 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1994 $1,500 Seven Card Stud 1997 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 2000 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 2002 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Gold Bracelet Match Play 2003 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em 2003 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 2005 $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em |
Chan (10), Doyle Brunson (10), and Phil Hellmuth (13) are the only players with ten or more WSOP bracelets. | |
| 2003 | Baldwin, BobbyBobby Baldwin The Owl |
$7005604900000000000604,900 | 1977 $5,000 Seven Card Stud 1977 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1978 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1979 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw |
Baldwin has worked with several casinos in various capacities due to his poker expertise. | |
| 2004 | Johnston, BerryBerry Johnston | $70062057168000000002,057,168 | 1983 $2,500 Match Play 1986 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1990 $2,500 Limit Hold'em 1995 $1,500 Limit Omaha 2001 $1,500 Razz |
At the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame, Johnston had the most WSOP cashes of any poker player. Having cashed in at least one event every year from 1982-2010, Berry holds the record for longest streaks at 29 years. | |
| 2005 | Binion, JackJack Binion | $0 | None | Binion was the first host of the WSOP in 1970 and successor to the Horseshoe legacy after the death of his father, Benny Binion. | |
| 2005 | Addington, CrandellCrandell Addington Dandy |
$7005122650000000000122,650 | None | — | |
| 2006 | Cloutier, T. J.T. J. Cloutier | $70064349316000000004,349,316 | 1987 $1,000 Limit Omaha Hi 1994 $1,500 Limit Omaha 8 or Better 1994 $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em 1998 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi 2004 $1,500 Seven Card Razz 2005 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em |
Cloutier is the only person to have won bracelets in all three types (Pot Limit High, Limit High, and Limit 8-or-Better High-low split) of Omaha. | |
| 2006 | Baxter, BillyBilly Baxter | $70061162517000000001,162,517 | 1975 $1,000 Deuce to Seven 1978 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1982 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1982 $2,500 Ace to Five Draw 1987 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 1993 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 2002 $1,500 Razz |
In the case of Baxter v. United States, Baxter fought the Internal Revenue Service and won the right to count poker winnings as earned income. Because of the ruling, poker winnings are taxed at a lower rate than other forms of gambling. | |
| 2007 | Enright, BarbaraBarbara Enright | $7005413385000000000413,385 | 1986 $500 Women's Seven Card Stud 1994 $1,000 Women's Seven Card Stud 1996 $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em |
Enright is the only woman to have advanced to the final table of the WSOP Main Event. She was the first woman to win three WSOP bracelets and the first to win an open event. | |
| 2007 | Hellmuth, PhilPhil Hellmuth The Poker Brat |
$70068048640000000008,048,640 | 1989 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship 1992 $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1993 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 1993 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em 1993 $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1997 $3,000 Pot Limit Hold'em 2001 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 2003 $2,500 Limit Hold'em 2003 $3,000 No Limit Hold'em 2006 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em with rebuys 2007 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 2012 $2,500 Seven Card Razz 2012 $10,400 WSOPE Main Event |
In 1989, at age 24, Hellmuth became the youngest person to win the WSOP main event. He held this distinction until 2008, when 22-year-old Peter Eastgate captured the title, and subsequently by Joe Cada in 2009. Hellmuth won his record-breaking 12th bracelet in the 2012 $2,500 Seven-Card Razz Event. He won his 13th bracelet in the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Hellmuth holds the records for most WSOP cashes (95) and most WSOP final tables (49). | |
| 2008 | Tomko, DeweyDewey Tomko | $70062687900000000002,687,900 | 1979 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em 1984 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 1984 $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw |
Tomko has won over $4.9 million in tournament poker. Tomko has played in every WSOP since 1974, the longest streak ever. | |
| — | 2008 | Orenstein, HenryHenry Orenstein | $7005202100000000000202,100 | 1996 $5,000 Seven Card Stud | Orenstein is the patent holder of the hole cam, which allows audiences to see player's hole cards. At the time of his induction, he was a producer of Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and High Stakes Poker. |
| 2009 | Sexton, MikeMike Sexton | $7005910792000000000910,792 | 1989 $1,500 Seven Card Stud 8/0B | Sexton has live tournament winnings in excess of $3 million. He has made 21 final tables at the WSOP, including a bracelet in Seven Card Stud 8/OB in 1989. Sexton has been a commentator on the World Poker Tour since season one. | |
| 2010 | Harrington, DanDan Harrington Action Dan |
$70063524476000000003,524,476 | 1995 $2,500 No Limit Hold'em 1995 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship |
Harrington has co-authored the Harrington on Hold 'em and Harrington on Cash Games series of books. He is also the 1995 WSOP Main Event champion. | |
| 2010 | Seidel, ErikErik Seidel Sly |
$70064352051000000004,352,051 | 1992 $2,500 Limit Hold'em 1993 $2,500 Omaha 8 or better 1994 $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1998 $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw 2001 $3,000 No Limit Hold'em 2003 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 2005 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em 2007 $5,000 World Championship No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball w/rebuys |
Seidel has captured eight WSOP bracelets. Seidel was runner-up in the 1988 World Series of Poker main event to Johnny Chan. The final hand was featured in the 1998 film, Rounders. | |
| 2011 | Greenstein, BarryBarry Greenstein The Robin Hood of Poker |
$70062676821000000002,676,821 | 2004 $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw 2005 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 2008 $1,500 Razz |
"The Robin Hood of Poker" is known for giving his tournament winnings to charities. | |
| 2011 | Johnson, LindaLinda Johnson The First Lady of Poker |
$7005140296000000000140,296 | 1997 $1,500 Seven Card Razz | "The First Lady of Poker" was a publisher of Card Player Magazine and was instrumental in the formation of the Tournament Director's Association (TDA). At the time of her election, she served on the TDA Board of Directors and was heavily involved with the World Poker Tour as both a public relations director and tournament announcer. | |
| — | 2012 | Drache, EricEric Drache | $7005289513000000000289,513 | — | Drache was the World Series of Poker’s tournament director (1973 to 1988). He is also credited with the concept of satellite tournaments. |
| 2012 | Roberts, BryanBryan Roberts† Sailor |
$7005276650000000000276,650 | 1974 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw 1975 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship. |
Roberts was the winner of the 1975 WSOP Main Event. |
| † | Denotes player who is deceased. |
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