Hall Of Fame 2010
Introduction.
Two poker players have been announced as having the honor of being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame 2010 – Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington. The two players are great friends having both started out on their poker careers, having begun playing the game around the same time at the Mayfair club in New York, having previously both been very keen tournament backgammon players. As has become customary, the induction ceremony into the Poker Hall of Fame will take place on in Las Vegas, November 8, immediately before the ‘heads-up’ final of the 2010 WSOP Main Event.
Erik Seidel.
Erik Seidel - 2010 Poker Hall of Fame inductee.
A former Wall Street stockbroker Erik Seidel has been a professional poker player since 1987, entering his first WSOP in 1988 he finished runner-up to the defending champion Johnny Chan – pretty impressive for it being not only his first time at the WSOP but even being his first major poker tournament. Since then, between 1998 and 2007, he has won 8 Gold bracelets and with a career now spanning four decades he has to date lifetime winnings in excess of $10 million. Considering that other nominees for the 2010 Poker Hall of Fame included the likes of Phil Ivey and Scott Nguyen, the fact that Erik is to be inducted has raised a few eye-brows amongst the poker community.
Dan Harrington.
Dan Harrington - 2010 Poker Hall of Fame inductee.
Dan Harrington is perhaps a bit less of a surprise. Unlike Erik he has actually won the WSOP Main Event, in 1995, and holds the record for the highest number of appearances at the WSOP Main Even final table, having been there on 4 occasions. His lifetime earnings are currently $6 million with 2 Gold bracelets – so perhaps in some ways Erik has the edge over him? However, we shouldn’t forget that Dan regards himself as a part-time poker player; with successful careers in law and finance, not to mention writing highly respected books about playing poker. An ex-Harvard man, Dan can boast former poker partners such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, not to mention no doubt enjoying occasional social poker games with distant relatives: three time major winner golfer Padraig Harrington and the now semi-retired quarterback Joey Harrington, most recently of the New Orleans Saints.