David Oppenheim and Chris Moneymaker inducted into Poker Hall of Fame

During the Main Event each year, the poker world is introduced to the latest members of the Poker Hall of Fame. Chosen by votes shared between the surviving members of the Hall of Fame and a panel of journalists, the Hall of Fame celebrates those who have made a serious contribution to the game, either by their individual exploits at the tables or their work to promote or grow poker. Either one, or two are selected each year, with David Oppenheim and Chris Moneymaker filling the latest two places in an exclusive club which has been running since 1979.

David Oppenheim

David Oppenheim has been a consistently strong performer in cash games for many years and has been accepted into the Hall of Fame at the age of 46, having been eligible since the age of 40. Along with being a feared cash game player, Oppenheim has also collected over $1.9 million in live career winnings and is a prolific mixed game player, having finished 3rd in the $50K Player’s Championship in 2010. Although he may not have any major titles to his name, Oppenheim has stood the test of time while playing against the biggest names in the game for more than twenty-five years, which is enough to earn a place in this illustrious club.

Hall of Fame mood: pic.twitter.com/y7nwjsWNJE

— Poker Central (@PokerCentral) July 16, 2019

Chris Moneymaker

Chris Moneymaker’s inclusion into the Hall of Fame is perhaps the less surprising of this year’s two entries. The forty-three-year-old changed the course of poker history back in 2003 when he turned an online satellite buy in of less than $100 into a $2,500,000 win and a world champion’s bracelet in his first recorded live cash. With the tournament being broadcast live across America with hole cards on display, this special moment coincided perfectly with the audience being able to see exactly what was happening with hole cards visible.

This resulted in countless thousands of Americans, and other players around the world thinking “why not me?” No longer was poker a frightening haunt of invincible pros who could see through your soul, it was an arena that could be conquered by a simple accountant with some good cards.

The “poker boom” which followed Moneymaker’s win reverberated through the poker world for several years after and led to entry numbers for the Main Event exploding from 838 runners in 2003 to 8,773 in 2006. Chris Moneymaker has not only changed the landscape of poker but continues to play, having amassed a further $1.3 million in live cashes in the years since. His continued presence in the game, along with his unique place in its history has surely more than earned his place in the Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame members