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The 2023 World Series of Poker Hall of Fame nominees have been announced and they are:
Josh Arieh
Jeremy Ausmus
Ted Forrest
Kathy Liebert
Mike Matusow
Lon McEachren and Norman Chad
Brian Rast
Matt Savage
Isai Scheinberg
Bill Smith
Savage is regularly referred to as "The Susan Lucci of Poker" as he's been nominated every year and never wins.
Lucci ended up being nominated 21 times for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The 19th time proved to be the charm, finally winning in 1999.
Savage is a beloved Tournament Director and currently serves as Executive Tour Director of the World Poker Tour.
"I’ve been nominated 7 out of the last 8 years since the public had a vote," Savage quipped. "The living members have the final vote but as always I have appreciated the support and honor of being up with the legends of the game."
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow is a friend of the Gambling911.com website and among the most colorful figures in the world of poker.
He tweeted out:
"Lots of reasons I feel I should be in the poker HOF! Besides my poker accomplishments im the only poker player who's ever had a 5min segment on my life on sportscenter, & im only person on the 2023 ballot who signs & takes 100 pic and autograph a day with so many saying I only got into poker because of you! I've got 4 bracelets 0 since my injury but have made 11 final tables since my injury at wsop, 5 wpt finals nbc hu in 2013? I play from my heart in awful pain everyday yet still crush the cash games! I know ill get in if not this yr but my mom is 85 so I hope it's this yr!"
Lon and Norm were a large part of the shift from the WSOP mimicking a football broadcast to becoming more of a gameshow.
Liebert became one of the early female phenoms in the poker world with her win at the first Party Poker Million event in 2002. It was the first limit poker tournament with a $1 million prize.
Earl Burton of Poker News Daily believes Smith is this year's inductee.
Smith won the 1985 World Series of Poker Main Event and was a staple of the WSOP during much of the 1980's. Smith would often play professional poker tournaments drunk
"Because of his history in the game and the vote being entirely conducted by the players, Smith being voted in would come as no surprise. If it isn’t Smith, then Ted Forrest is a solid bet for induction. But there are a host of pros that have demonstrated through their performance at the WSOP in 2023 that they are ready to take their place by the legends of poker."
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
