Las Vegas (6 November 2015) – Tonight, the newest members of the Poker Hall of Fame will officially be recognized for the honor. Jennifer Harman and John Juanda will be inducted into the Hall in a ceremony at Binion’s Gambling Hall, the traditional birthplace of Las Vegas poker and the building where the legendary Benny Binion started the World Series of Poker 45 years ago.
The ceremony begins at 8:00 p.m. in the Longhorn Room, formerly known as Benny’s Bullpen. The room was the venue for multiple WSOP bracelet victories for both Harman and Juanda, and now serves as the site of their memorialization in the Hall of Fame.
Nolan Dalla, poker historian extraordinaire, will act as master of ceremonies. And Daniel Negreanu—himself a 2014 inductee into the Hall—will act as presenter for both Juanda and Harman.
Harman and Juanda were voted into the Hall of Fame by a 39-person panel consisting of current Hall of Fame members and a Blue Ribbon Media Panel. The voters selected Harman and Juanda from a list of 10 finalists who were chosen by a public nomination process. The Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council would like to recognize and congratulate the other 2015 finalists, all of whom remain eligible for future induction: Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, Bruno Fitoussi, Carlos Mortensen, Max Pescatori, Terry Rogers, Matt Savage, and David Ulliott.
Jennifer Harman’s tournament accomplishments include over $2.7 million in earnings, two World Series of Poker bracelets, and countless other final tables. But her true claim to fame lies in cash games. Harman has been playing professionally for three decades, and has spent much of that time at the highest-stakes cash games in Las Vegas. Her sustained success and longevity in the biggest games available is paralleled by only handful of players. Beyond the felt, Harman passionately supports charitable causes close to her heart, including the National Kidney Foundation and the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (Just a week after her induction, Harman is hosting a charity tournament to benefit the NSPCA - information available here.)
John Juanda is one of the most accomplished players in poker history. He has five WSOP bracelets, made seven WPT final tables, and won the EPT Barcelona just a few months ago. Over the past 18 years, he has amassed over $17 million in live tournament earnings. Juanda was born in Indonesia, and came to the United States in 1990 to attend college at Oklahoma State University and then went on to receive his Master’s Degree from Seattle University. Since 1997 he has earned his living playing poker, and has become one of the game’s most successful players since then.
About the Poker Hall of Fame:
The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars) along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker's most influential players and other important contributors to the game. There are now 25 living members.
The main criteria for the Poker Hall of Fame are as follows:
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Be a minimum of 40 years old at time of nomination
- 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.
The entire list of 50 Poker Hall of Fame members includes (alphabetical):
- Tom Abdo '82
- Crandell Addington ‘05
- Bobby Baldwin ‘03
- Billy Baxter ‘06
- Lyle Berman ‘02
- Joe Bernstein ‘83
- Benny Binion ‘90
- Jack Binion ‘05
- Bill Boyd ‘81
- Doyle Brunson ‘88
- Johnny Chan ‘02
- T.J. Cloutier ‘06
- Nick Dandolos ‘79
- Eric Drache ‘12
- Barbara Enright ‘07
- Fred “Sarge” Ferris ‘89
- Henry Green ‘86
- T “Blondie” Forbes ‘80
- Barry Greenstein ‘11
- Jennifer Harman ‘15
- Dan Harrington ‘10
- Murph Harrold ‘84
- Phil Hellmuth ‘07
- James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok ‘79
- Red Hodges ‘85
- Edmond Hoyle ‘79
- Linda Johnson ‘11
- Berry Johnston ‘04
- John Juanda ‘15
- Jack Keller ‘93
- Jack McClelland ‘14
- Felton McCorquodale ‘79
- Tom McEvoy ‘13
- Roger Moore ‘97
- Johnny Moss ‘79
- Daniel Negreanu ‘14
- Scotty Nguyen ‘13
- Henry Orenstein ‘08
- Walter Clyde “Puggy” Pearson ‘87
- Julius Oral Popwell ‘96
- Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston ‘92
- David “Chip” Reese ‘91
- Brian “Sailor” Roberts ‘12
- Erik Seidel ‘10
- Mike Sexton ‘09
- Jack “Treetop” Straus ‘88
- Duane “Dewey” Tomko ‘08
- Stu “The Kid” Ungar ‘01
- Red Winn ‘79
- Sid Wyman ‘79
For more information on the Poker Hall of Fame, visit www.lnmandiya.com/pokerhalloffame/.