Poker Hall of Famers 2014 Announced: Negreanu and McClelland Inducted

The results for the 2014 Poker Hall of Fame election are now in. The two who will be joining poker’s elite society are Daniel Negreanu and Jack McClelland. They will become 47th and 48th individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after being voted in by the 41-person panel made up of existing members of the Poker Hall of Fame and a Blue Ribbon Media Panel.

The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 9 at Binion’s Gambling Hall. This venue is known as the birthplace of poker in Las Vegas and the original home of the World Series of Poker. The ceremony will take place a day before the WSOP Main Event Final Table gets underway, so those in Las Vegas at the time will get to enjoy a whole spectrum of poker festivities.

Negreanu and McClelland are the opposites in many relevant aspects, yet they were both deemed worthy of the honor. Jack Mclelland has spent forty years in and around the game, his efforts mostly being on the operator side of things. He held nearly every position in a poker room at one time or another.

Daniel Negreanu has just become eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame this year, after turning forty. Although he’s done a lot for popularization of poker and worked as an ambassador for the game, his admittance was based primarily on his results on the felt. Negreanu has found a tremendous success on the live tournament circuit and the panel of judges found it induction-worthy in a tough competition.

Thanks everyone for the support, it's truly appreciated. I may be 40, but I'll be around another 40 at least! http://t.co/jPuTMnJXFB
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) October 24, 2014

Those who did not make it this year, but remain eligible for future inductions include Chris Bjorin, Humberto Brenes, Bruno Fitoussi, Ted Forrest and Huckleberry Seed. Some of these names we will most certainly see inducted in the coming years.

Jack McClelland has truly been a part of poker history. Now 63 years of age, he moved to Las Vegas to help his mother only to become a part of one of the most encompassing poker stories ever. He worked with the likes of Jack Binion and Bobby Baldwin and was involved at the Bellagio when Mike Sexton and the WPT brought their first tournament there. He hasn’t played much himself, but was one of those guys who always made sure the things run smoothly for the players.

Daniel Negreanu, professional player hailing from Canada, is a name known to players and fans alike. His great poker results have granted him what only one other player has accomplished. Negreanu and David ‘Chip’ Reese are the only members of the Poker Hall of Fame to be inducted the same year they turned 40. With six WSOP bracelets to his name and being the only two-time WSOP Player of the Year any myriad of other results, ‘KidPoker’ certainly fulfills the required criteria.

Negreanu has shown a great interest in this year’s election and will, no doubt, be happy about the outcome. We are fully expecting to see a blog of some sort further commenting on the results as well!