Bruno Fitoussi and Daniel Negreanu.
In my opinion, out of the 10 finalists, these two – Negreanu and Fitoussi – are the most deserving. While there are numerous others on the list also worthy of a spot in the most exclusive poker club, I believe they should not precede the mentioned duo.
Here are the 10 finalists for the year 2014:
- Chris Bjorin
- Humberto Brenes
- Bruno Fitoussi
- Ted Forrest
- Jen Harman
- Bob Hooks
- Mike Matusow
- Jack McClelland
- Daniel Negreanu
- Huck Seed
Let me first clarify why I didn’t advocate for Negreanu or other contemporary players this year before I argue in favor of Negreanu and Fitoussi. This is related to the current nomination and voting procedures for the Hall of Fame.
I’m not crazy about the process
If you’ve been keeping up with my thoughts on poker, you know I have a fondness for the history of the game and the old-time players. Given the opportunity to choose the 10 finalists for this year’s Poker Hall of Fame class, my list would significantly differ from those chosen through the general public voting system.
The Poker Hall of Fame being a relatively new establishment, has not had the chance to conduct mass inductions for players from earlier eras. Consequently, there is a significant backlog of deserving players who are now witnessing equally or more deserving individuals being inducted ahead of them.
This year, I lobbied for the following people:
- Barry Shulman
- Ken Flaton
- Bobby Hoff
- David Sklansky
- Mike Caro
- Terry Rogers
I’ve previously mentioned names such as Mickey Appleman, David Ulliott, Men Nguyen, Bruno Fittoussi, Cyndi Violette, Danny Robison, Marcel Luske, Liam Flood, Jack McClelland, Nolan Dalla, Anthony Holden, Andy Glazer, and John Duthie.
I’ve also pushed for the much-needed mass introduction of players from the 19th and early 20th centuries to address the issue of deserving players who have not yet been inducted into the Hall of Fame. This is primarily because the Poker Hall of Fame was only established in 1979.
Furthermore, I am not fond of the fan voting component of the process, as it results in social media campaigns and does not accurately represent the most deserving players. Individuals who are having a good year get nominated because they are fresh in the public’s mind – for instance, David Chiu was nominated last year when he had an exceptional WSOP, but not this year. This was also the case for Thor Hansen, whose fight against cancer made him a prominent figure in many people’s thoughts last year.
I propose that a solution to this could be to see the Poker Hall of Fame adopt a minimum eligibility requirement similar to that of baseball, followed by a necessary minimum vote count to maintain eligibility in the subsequent year.
The current year appears to have ignited substantial debate over the existing process. Unlike previous years, where only a few offered criticisms and suggestions, it seems as though everyone is participating in the discussion this year.
In my opinion, this is a positive development, and I would be quite astonished if some sort of changes aren’t implemented next year.
You can find more of my opinions on the current shortcomings in the Hall of Fame nomination and voting process here.
A couple of years ago, Lance Bradley wrote an excellent column on this topic: Editor’s Letter: Process Oriented.
Alright, the time for ranting has ended.
Why I would vote for Negreanu
Though Daniel Negreanu didn’t initially make my list of potential nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2014, now that he’s on the ballot, it’s undeniable that he deserves a vote.
Negreanu is a timeless figure, akin to a Mount Rushmore icon. He was present prior to the Poker Boom, played a crucial role during it, and has since emerged as the game’s most prominent ambassador as the spotlight on the Poker Boom diminishes.
Thus, although I wouldn’t advocate for Negreanu during the nomination phase, once he becomes a finalist, it’s essential to support the most deserving candidate. Undeniably, no one is more deserving than Daniel Negreanu.
Why I would vote for Fitoussi
To begin with, I appreciate players who bring more to the table than just poker skills, and Fitoussi is absolutely one of them. Essentially, he introduced Texas Holdem to France and spearheaded the establishment of the poker room in the Aviation Club.
Fitoussi is not only highly regarded and popular in poker but also an exceptionally skilled player himself.
Many individuals concentrate on outcomes, but I value one’s position in poker history. Numerous players might only get a mention in upcoming poker history books, but my goal is to see players in the Hall of Fame who are highlighted with their own paragraph. Apart from being a legendary figure, this involves doing more than just winning tournaments.
Here are additional thoughts on Bruno Fitoussi.
