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Poker tournaments have been proliferating at a pace so inspiring that it’s hard to imagine people not growing fond of the game. The continuous influx of tournament has been quite revitalizing for the entire industry. Players, observers, and the occasional hot-heads are all enthralled with the popularity poker has attained as a game of skill and hobby. But how do you seal the deal on that? How do you know that the popularity trick is really working? A new Poker Hall of Fame for the online lot is how.

Poker Has Gone Online and so Has the Fame

Yes, as online poker has begun to proliferate online, so has the question been raised – shouldn’t we have a way to commemorate the pros that battle over the wire, day in and day out? The answer is an affirmative yes. A new online Poker Hall of Fame has arrived. Enter OPHOF – the website which didn’t bother with fanfare at all.

And so, the new Hall of Fame is in fact quite a simple one. You have a list of 30 poker pros and you may vote for three of these, who will then be inducted into the hall of fame. The list seems to be up to snuff, albeit a few omissions are rather surprising.

For instance, the creators have left out Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen. Some may say that Negreanu is not really worth to be part of the Hall of Fame, because of his habits to spend everything he makes, either on poker or elsewhere, but with $20 million in earnings, it’s not difficult to imagine why he would be a good fit for the list. Plus, Bonomo has recently dislodged Daniel Negreanu as he won $10 million in the WSOP $1 million buy-in event.

The Top Boys on the List

Many deserving players have appeared on the famed list, though, including Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey and Phil Galfond, Viktor Blom, and Shaun Deeb. All of them have been quite active on the online poker scene, making them a good pick.

While these numbers are well picked, the question remains – who is really in charge of the new Poker Hall of Fame. A cursory glance at the domain reveals that it has been registered in the name of one Randall Kasper who is based in Florida.

According to LinkedIn, Mr Randall is running several poker companies that deal with multiple activities that pertain to poker as a whole.

The Need for the Hall

Many players today make a name for themselves out of their bedrooms. They lead modest lives while accumulating experience and winnings that puts them in the spotlight. The grind is real, as they say and such players do deserve the recognition that their gameplay has earned them.

In the absence of an official Hall of Poker for such online stars, it’s not surprising that individuals who have clear intentions on the poker market will be willing to fill the vacuum that has been left there.

Whether the initiative will be endorsed on a wider scale is a different question altogether and one that may be better left on its own. Only time will show what’s next for the Online Poker Hall of Fame.