Mike Sexton was the only person to get inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame last year. This year, 10 players players were nominated and 2 of them were chosen by the 16 living hall of fame members and a selected group of media members based upon five criteria:
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Played for high stakes
- Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
- Stood the test of time
- Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.
Dan Harrington (left) and Erik Seidel (right) are the names of the new Hall of Fame members. Both of them started off as tournament backgammon players before getting into the poker scene. The list with tournament results and how they have contributed to poker can be made very long. It must be a great feeling for both of them to be the 2 elected players from a nominee list that included: Chris Ferguson, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, Linda Johnson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and Barry Greenstein.
"I'm very honored to be elected to the Poker Hall of Fame this year and it's an extra bonus for me to be going in with Dan Harrington," said Seidel. "We have played together and have been great friends for my entire poker career. Both of us refined our games at the Mayfair Club in New York. I have such a high regard for the many members of the Poker Hall of Fame that I have played with over the years and it's a real privilege to be able to join them."