The Poker Hall of Shame
There has been a lot of talk recently about the Poker Hall of Fame since a few lucky players will be getting inducted in November. Some of those in the running include Barry Greenstein, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Ivey so there are definitely some star players in the running who’ve accomplished a lot in their career. But few people ever talk about those who haven’t accomplished anything good in their career or have disgraced the game until Doyle Brunson decided to do so with his Poker Hall of Shame.
Some might wonder where this unique Hall of Shame idea came from so I’ll sum it up in Brunson’s own words. Brunson reasoned his Hall of Shame by saying, “I never saw Chip Reese lose control, nor have I seen Barry Greenstein be abusive to anyone. We should learn from them.” After stating that, Brunson went on to induct Stu Ungar, Doc Holliday, Puggy Pearson, Nick Vacchiano, “N-word” Nate Lanette, and Nick “Shoeshine” Simpson into his Hall of Shame.
Sure there are some talented players in his list who had also gained notoriety in the poker world, but anyone can see why these people are in the Poker Hall of Shame. They’re basically all players who gained fame by being assholes to fellow players and dealers. The other criteria that these people must meet to be in Brunson’s Hall of Shame is that they must be dead which may stir some controversy.
You see, there is a few rare breeds who actually respect these people so I’m sure Brunson will catch some backlash from those who say he’s dishonoring their memory. But in the end, I agree with him because these people all deserve this “honor”.