Prior to the World Series of Poker Main Event heads-up match between Jonathan Duhamel and John Racener on Monday night the fans that had packed into the Rio were treated to the Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony that saw Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington take their rightful place amongst the games greats.
At the ceremony each inductee was given a commemorative trophy before speaking to the crowd assembled in the Penn & Teller Theater. Dan Harrington was introduced by one of poker’s true writing legends Nolan Dalla who praised Harrington’s poker accomplishments s well as his writing prowess. Harrington spoke about the impact of the Mayfair Club on his poker career: “I did not find it; it found me… This club consisted of great game players. They were world champions in backgammon, bridge, and chess. However, they were just dying to learn how to play No Limit Hold’em. I had paid my dues at the World Series of Poker, so I had an edge on them.”
It was Doyle Brunson who introduced Erik Seidel, and Texas Dolly reiterated the words he wrote on his blog about Seidel: “The thing I’ve admired most about Erik is his demeanor at the table. I think he reminds me of Chip Reese and that’s the biggest accomplishment I can give anyone.” Seidel then went on to praise the people who have helped him along the way, but paid particular tribute to Howard Lederer, saying, “No one has had more of an impact on me throughout the years.”
Also revealed by WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart was that a “Chip Reese Rule” would go into effect next year, setting a minimum age requirement before a player would be eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame. This should simplify not only the voting process, but also the initial online voting process. The rule needed to be enacted after the debate over Phil Ivey’s qualifications for induction –Despite all of his incredible accomplishments Ivey is only 34 years-old.
While Seidel’s stats trump those of Harrington’s many people don’t realize that Dan Harrington is not a full-time poker player! Harrington’s accomplishments have all been done while playing a very sparse tournament schedule over the years, which really makes them stand out –who knows what Harrington could have accomplished had he played full-time? On the other hand, Seidel has a resume that can only be matched by a handful of poker players: 8 WSOP Bracelets, $10 million in tournament winnings, 19 Major wins for his career –not to mention some VERY NOTABLE runner-up finishes!
Related posts:
