I am a Finalist for the Women in Poker Hall of Fame
A surprise and honor to be nominated amongst so many incredible players and advocates
On Monday I got a lovely surprise message from my multi-talented friend Jamie Kerstetter. We are both among eight finalists for the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. The full list includes so many incredible players and advocates for the game. Check out the bios and ballot to read more each candidate and to vote.
Why a Women in Poker Hall of Fame? As of 2024, there are only three women out of 64 players in the “regular” Poker Hall of Fame: Linda Johnson, Jennifer Harman and Barbara Enright.
Each year, one or two additional players are inducted into the HOF with current members voting on the inductees. The 61 men and 3 women are not that likely to dramatically alter the lopsided gender ratio anytime soon, due to the historical and enduring barriers women have seen in poker, as well as the structure of the process.
And that is where the Women in Poker Hall of Fame comes in: a way to recognize the many contributions by women in poker and to add prestige to a rich culture and history. Unlike the history of chess, the history of poker is too often neglected due the widespread, and understandable confusion over whether poker is a mindsport like chess or gambling like Roulette.
It can be either—and both—as my own “Chess Roulette” piece showed. It’s up to the industry and the community to show the beneficial aspects of the game like building championship records, financial skills and lifelong friendships. And this year’s candidates exemplify the positive power of poker.
Good luck to all! You can vote here1. The deadline is October 30th.
As a finalist I did not vote. But I did vote via mail for the Presidential Election this week!
Congratulations! What a wonderful honor.
Congrats on being nominated, well-deserved!