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WiPHoF Returns After Four-Year Hiatus

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on
Jennifer Newell

The Women in Poker Hall of Fame is returning this year with a nomination process to induct at least one new member.

This is the first year since 2018 that WiPHoF is inducting new members. And prior to 2018, the pattern was to host a ceremony and induct at least one new woman every two years, meaning 2020 should have been one of those years. We all know what happened in 2020.

It’s now 2022, and the Women in Poker Hall of Fame is open for nominations.

To Honor Women in Poker

For those who will ask why women need their own Hall of Fame, the answer remains the same as when WiPHoF first began. It is a way to honor the women who have contributed to the game of poker and gained prominence through the years. The Poker Hall of Fame is open to men and women, of course. But in the overall history of the game, women have comprised only a small percentage of the players and contributors to poker. Several of them are members of the World Series of Poker Hall of Fame, but WiPHoF gives the minority community in poker the opportunity to honor those who have made an impact on the game as well as other women.

The first inductions happened in 2008 with seven very prominent women. It then took place every two years with the exception of 2011 thrown in as an extra year.

The members of WiPHoF are:

-2008:  Barbara Enright, Linda Johnson, Marsha Waggoner, Susie Isaacs, Cyndy Violette, Jan Fisher, June Field

-2010:  Billie Brown, Kathy Liebert

-2011:  Kristy Gazes, Margie Heintz, Phyllis Caro

-2012:  JJ Liu, Kathy Raymond

-2014:  Deborah Giardina, Allyn Shulman

-2016:  Debbie Burkhead, Victoria Cohen

-2018:  Maria Ho, Lupe Soto

New Nominations

Just this week, the Women in Poker Hall of Fame opened nominations for this year’s honors. The process began on August 18 and open until…a future date that they did not announce.

For now, anyone can go to this Google form to begin the nomination process. The first requirement is an email address, then name, email address again, and up to three nominees. Along with each name, there must be a reason that the person should be considered. Hit the submit button, and it’s just that simple.

There are eligibility requirements. So, while it be a nice gesture to nominate your mom or grandmother, WiPHoF will only consider nominees, both players and industry leaders, that meet the following criteria:

-Must have been active in the poker community for at least 10 years and at least 35 years of age.

-Must have contributed to poker in some significant way.

-Must be a proponent of women in poker and not publicly criticize women-only tournaments.

The Organization Committee and current WiPHoF members must approve all nominees. They will approve based on their record, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to poker. They then contact the nominees, who must agree to be on the ballot.

Final ballots of a maximum of eight nominees go to members of the Hall of Fame and “select media members.” Each person can distribute their 10 votes as they choose across the nominees.

December Ceremony

The 2022 WiPHoF ceremony will take place at Resorts World Las Vegas during the week of December 13-18. The weeklong Women in Poker Winter Festival will consist of tournaments, parties, and the WiPHof ceremony.

As usual, though, there will also be a charity component to the ceremony. WiPHoF will partner with Poker Gives, and all funds raised through tickets to the ceremony and additional donations will benefit Poker Gives. That organization has been operating for well over a decade, originally founded by Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, and Lisa Tenner. It was a vehicle through which poker players could donate to charities that benefit military families, youth organizations, and homeless residents of the Las Vegas area.

It is all a part of the nonprofit Vegas Connected group of charities.

 

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