You gotta hand it to Benny Binion. Only he would have come up with the idea of adding James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok to the Poker Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame is a permanent fixture in the poker room at Binion's Horseshoe. After the Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas was sold, the World Series of Poker officially took over the Poker Hall of Fame and maintains control of it today.
The Hall of Fame was established in 1979 shortly after the first World Series of Poker took place at the casino on Fremont Street. After conferring with friends like Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim and Doyle Brunson, Binion began collecting photos and information on some of the greatest poker players of all time. That is how the Poker Hall of Fame got started.
Benny was a product of the old West. Today the Poker Hall of Fame contains the names and photos of three men who died while playing poker -- Wild Bill Hickok, Tom Abdo, and Jack 'Treetop' Straus.
An interesting side note about Abdo; he was stricken with a massive heart attack while playing poker but before the ambulance arrived, he asked another player to count his chips and save his seat.
If you visit Las Vegas, the Poker Hall of Fame is worth a visit. A limit and maybe even a no-limit Texas Hold'em game might be underway when you arrive at the Horseshoe. Here, for the record, are the names of the 53 people in the Hall of Fame, 22 of whom are living:
(1) JOHNNY MOSS, the grand old man of poker, who won $824,922 in World Series of Poker tournaments.
(2) NICK DANDOLOS, also known as Nick the Greek. He played a cash game against Moss, reportedly lost $3 million, and retired to his room after telling Johnny, 'Mr. Moss, I'm afraid I'll have to let you go.'
(3) FELTON MCCORQUODALE, who introduced the game of Texas Hold'em to Las Vegas in 1963.
(4) RED WINN.
(5) SID WYMAN.
(6) WILD BILL HICKOK, who was shot to death in a saloon while playing poker. As he lay dying, his cards fell from his hand -- aces and eights.
(7) JACK 'TREETOP' STRAUS. He won the WSOP with a single $500 chip after he thought he was all in and formed the legend, 'a chip and a chair.'
(8) BLONDIE FORBES, who reportedly came up with the idea for Texas Hold'em.
(9) BILL BOYD, who operated the Golden Nugget from 1940 to 1982.
(10) TOM ABDO.
(11) JOE BERNSTEIN.
(12) MURPH HARROLD.
(13) RED HODGES.
(14) HENRY GREEN.
(15) WALTER CLYDE 'PUGGY' PEARSON, the redneck gambler and one of the most generous men to ever make gambling profession. He won $212,000 in the WSOP.
(16) DOYLE BRUNSON, whose WSOP winnings total $2.8 million and who is one of three players to ever win the WSOP main event three times.
(17) JACK STRAUS, who won $555,000 in the WSOP.
(18) FRED FERRIS, winner of $150,000 in the WSOP.
(19) BENNY BINION.
(20) DAVID 'CHIP' REESE, a gentleman of a poker player who won $2.2 million at the WSOP.
(21) THOMAS 'AMARILLO SLIM' PRESTON, who won $436,000 at the WSOP.
(22) JACK KELLER, winner of $1.5 million at the WSOP.
(23) JULIUS POPWELL.
(24) STU UNGAR, a tragic cocaine addict and brilliant card player who won $2 million at the WSOP. Ungar also was one of three players to win the WSOP main event three times.
(25) LYLE BERMAN, who won $1.4 million at the WSOP.
(26) JOHNNY CHAN, who won $4.1million at the WSOP. Chan is a recipient of 10 WSOP bracelets along with Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey.
(27) BOBBY BALDWIN, who won $604,000 at the WSOP.
(28) BERRY JOHNSON, winner of $2 million at the WSOP.
(29) JACK BINION.
(30) CRANDELL ADDINGTON, winner of $122,000 at the WSOP.
(31) T.J. CLOUTIER, winner of $4.3 million at the WSOP.
(32) BILLY BAXTER, winner of $473,000 at the WSOP.
(33) BARBARA ENRIGHT, winner of $413,000 at the WSOP and the only woman to make the final table in the WSOP's main event.
(34) PHIL HELLMUTH, who win $8 million in the WSOP.
(35) DEWEY TOMKO, who won $2.6 million in the WSOP.
(36) HENRY ORENSTEIN, who won $202,000 in the WSOP.
(37) MIKE SEXTON, who won $910,000 in the WSOP.
(38) DAN HARRINGTON, winner of $3.5 million in the WSOP.
(39) ERIC SEIDEL, winner of $4.3 million in the WSOP.
(40) BARRY GREENSTEIN, who won $2.6million in the WSOP.
(41) LINDA JOHNSON, former publisher of Card Player Magazine who won $140,000 in the WSOP.
(42) ERIC DRACHE, a casino executive who won $289,000 in the WSOP.
(43) BRYAN 'SAILOR' ROBERTS, who won $276,000 in the WSOP.
(44) TOM MCEVOY, who won $1.3 million in the WSOP.
(45) SCOTTY NGUYEN, who won $5 million in the WSOP.
(46) JACK MCCLELLAND, who won $29,000 in the WSOP.
(47) DANIEL NEGREANU, the biggest winner at the WSOP with $14.6 million in tournament earnings.
(48) JENNIFER HARMAN, who won $998,000 in the WSOP.
(49) JOHN JUANDA, who won $4.7 million in the WSOP.
(50) TODD BRUNSON, son of Doyle Brunson, who won $1.7 million in the WSOP.
(51) CARLOS MORTENSEN, who won $3.1 million in the WSOP.
(52) DAVID ULLIOTT, who won $1.6 million in the WSOP.
(53) PHIL IVEY, who won $5.9 million in the WSOP.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
