Poker Players in 2011
Players to Watch in 2011
There has been a great deal of recent buzz about the Howard Lederer comments regarding Phil Ivey’s snub from the 2010 induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. While Lederer offered praise to the two inductees this year, he also remarked that a change should be made to the way in which age is considered as a factor for candidates. What would happen if Lederer got his way? Two poker players stand out as possible candidates for 2011. The question is, how far will the induction committee consider Lederer’s comments – and how much would a change to the required age of 40 (from the current requirement that the player “stand the test of time”) impact next year’s nomination?
Jamie Gold
Jamie Gold lives in Los Angeles and works as a television producer. He was introduced to poker at a young age by his grandfather and mother. His grandfather was a well-known gin rummy player. Gold graduated from thee University of New York at Albany and attended UCLA to study entertainment law. He never really thought he could make serious money playing poker. However, he knew that he had the skills to succeed because he had spent so much of his life playing poker. As a producer, he began to work on a documentary about top poker players Chris Moneymaker and Johnny Chan. The two poker legends took Gold under their wing. They convinced him to enter the 2006 WSOP. Gold took the tournament by storm and has grown into one of the most well-known poker players of his day.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey is considered one of the most intimidating poker players out there. Nobody wants to look across the table and see Ivey’s face staring back. Ivey is a poker lifer. He was introduced to the game by his grandfather when he was a boy. By the time he was 16, he frequented backroom poker tables and played for big money. Although Ivey played poker any time he could, he never really thought he could make a living from it. Thankfully, he met his wife while working as a telemarketer. She pushed him to play bigger tournaments. Ivey entered the 2000 World Series of Poker when he was only 24 years old. He won a bracelet playing Pot-Limit Omaha and never looked back. He ended up winning his fifth Pot-Limit Omaha bracelet in 2005, almost halfway to the record of 11. At such a young age, it is hard to doubt that Ivey will eventually break that record.