Ted Forrest is an annual Poker Corridor of Fame (PHOF) candidate, and one poker legend is making a stunning push to get the six-time World Collection of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner off the sidelines and into the unique membership.
John Hennigan, inducted into the PHOF together with Mori Eskandani in 2018, does not converse publicly typically. However “Johnny World” feels so strongly about Forrest being deserving that he not solely penned an op-ed for PokerNews concerning the subject, he did so in help of a poker professional he is not precisely greatest pals with nowadays.
The Poker Corridor of Fame now inducts only one participant or trade individual annually, a subject of debate PokerNews just lately addressed. Patrik Antonius was voted in by his friends final 12 months. Those self same people, the residing members of the PHOF, will select another person this coming summer time. Many count on the race to return all the way down to Nick Schulman and Scott Seiver. However Hennigan, an old-school gambler with seven WSOP bracelets, has another person in thoughts, and he made a compelling argument.
Johnny World’s Poker Corridor of Fame Vote
*The next part was written by John Hennigan.
Properly it’s that point of the 12 months once more, the WSOP will induct one other participant into the Corridor of Fame. To me it begs the query, what’s an induction value? Is it bragging rights amongst a really massive however on the identical time a really restricted peer group? Is it a validation of a profession, surviving in your wits in a reasonably tough atmosphere? Is it a type of immortality? Is it utterly meaningless?
To me it’s (or a minimum of it was) all these issues. The 12 months I used to be inducted, a easy remark by Mike Sexton began the ball rolling. I joined him on the desk in a match the day after I received my sixth bracelet. And he mentioned “how are you not within the Corridor of Fame”? I simply laughed, and with a smile, albeit a understanding smile I mentioned, “effectively it’s arduous to say,” as in my view I shared his sentiment that I used to be deserving of induction, given my resume. 1. Fact is, had I not received a match that 12 months, and extra importantly, had Mike not began speaking about it with a number of the different Corridor of Famers, I may not be in there to at the present time. I hope some Corridor of Famers pay Ted the identical courtesy.
The nomination and induction standards may be very current minded, which I consider is a mistake, and is why I’m writing this text. For example, this 12 months the dialog facilities round Nick Schulman and Scott Seiver, who will likely be first time eligibles in 2025. For my part, each are deserving induction, even important.
However what about Ted Forrest? Let’s simply check out just a few of his {qualifications}.
1. Typically thought to be the best razz participant of all time. 2. On the 1993 WSOP he received three tournaments in as many days, following Phil Hellmuth Jr. who did the identical factor just a few days earlier than. 3. Ted has six whole WSOP bracelets and one World Poker Tour (WPT) title 4. In 2006, he received the NBC Heads up Match.5. Ted famously “bum rushed” the $10,000-$20,000 heads up match (with no monetary companions) between Andy Beal and Chip Reese, a ballsy transfer to say the least. Chip was the consultant of “The Company” which was a gaggle of about 15 different excessive restrict gamers, together with myself. This story is recounted within the e book “The Professor, The Banker, and the Suicide King.” Guess who Ted was? An fascinating anecdote — following that sport, Chip was working it down for us, and somebody requested if we have been going to deliver Ted into the fold of the Company. Chip replied, “in fact, we’d like somebody who can beat him.” Chip had misplaced small within the sport and Ted was the massive winner. 6. In my humble opinion, Ted was the perfect participant on the earth for a few years. He was Recreation Principle Optimum (GTO) in excessive restrict money video games, lengthy earlier than that time period was commonplace. This was at a time when the perfect of the perfect competed day in and time out in these video games. As one in all his closest pals then, I used to be aware about his line of considering in lots of elements of the sport, most notably his means to have folks considering he wasn’t pretty much as good as he was.7. Huck Seed is extensively referred to as THE prop betting man. However, if he’s primary, Ted is actually quantity two. The tales are legendary and for an additional time.8. Ted was extensively recognized for staking and lending many many gamers, which led to a different plethora of fantastic tales, together with having access to the well-known Larry Flynt seven card stud sport. That is one other instance of Ted “giving motion” that supplied him eventual large monetary upside.
Properly I’m fairly certain I’m forgetting just a few issues, however I believe that record is a fairly strong resume of one of many best minds the sport of poker has ever seen. Let’s not make the error of hoping Ted occurs to win one thing on the age of 60+ earlier than recognizing his legacy.
Early on this article, I referenced it being utterly meaningless to me whether or not or not I used to be within the Corridor, and it was, till I used to be inducted. Most of these accolades are sometimes for the family and friends of the recipient in addition to the recipient himself. I don’t know Ted’s emotions about being within the Corridor of Fame as we’ve had a little bit of a falling out over time.
After I informed my pals I used to be considering of writing this text, they thought it was bizarre, given our present private standing. I had one phrase for them and no it wasn’t plastics, it was benefit.
Forrest on Negreanu’s Brief Record
Daniel Negreanu, a voter and PHOF member, mentioned he’d wish to see the Corridor of Fame induct two gamers per 12 months and one trade individual each three years. He additionally predicted the voting this summer time will come all the way down to Forrest, Schulman, Seiver, and the late “Miami” John Cernuto. Jeremy Ausmus can also be in rivalry, together with Mike Matusow, Josh Arieh, Isai Scheinberg, and Matt Savage.
Forrest, as Hennigan talked about, received three bracelets — his first three — in 1993, the identical summer time Hellmuth additionally hit the trifecta. The 60-year-old poker legend has $6.4 million in dwell match cashes, in accordance with The Hendon Mob. He is received WSOP bracelets in 4 totally different poker variants, and he crushed it within the highest stakes money video games for a number of many years.
The resume is undoubtedly Poker Corridor of Fame worthy, as it’s for a variety of different gamers and trade folks. We’ll all discover out which route the residing HOF members go in just a few months.
