Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2011: Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson

Poker News / Short-Stacked Shamus / 28 October 2011 / Leave a Comment

2011 Poker Hall of Fame inductees Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson

Response from the poker community to yesterday’s announcement was overwhelmingly positive, further underscoring the valued place Greenstein and Johnson have as two of the game’s most prized representatives and ambassadors.

The 2011 inductees for the Poker Hall of Fame have been announced, with Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson being the two named to join the 40 others belonging to one of poker's most exclusive and prestigious clubs. Both will be honored in a special ceremony at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino during the afternoon of Tuesday, November 8 prior to the completion of this year's WSOP Main Event final table.

After having been nominated along with eight others following online polling at the WSOP website, Greenstein and Johnson received the most votes from a panel comprised of living Poker Hall of Famers and a group of poker media (including your humble scribbler). Those nominated but coming up short this year were Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, John Juanda, Marcel Luske, Jack McClelland, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen, and Huck Seed. (See a discussion of all 10 candidates here.)

Response from the poker community to yesterday's announcement that Greenstein and Johnson had been selected was overwhelmingly positive, further underscoring the valued place both have as two of the game's most prized representatives and ambassadors. Indeed, while both have significant accomplishments as players -- Greenstein in particular -- both are also equally known for their work away from the tables.

Shortly after the announcement, 2009 inductee Mike Sexton tweeted his congratulations to both for making it in, noting "both are extremely deserving of that honor." Sexton's message echoed the sentiments of many upon hearing the news.

Both Greenstein and Johnson had been nominated last year when Dan Harrington and Erik Seidel were selected. While voting totals are not made public and thus it is not known how close they came to being selected in 2010, many nonetheless believed that of the 10 finalists this year both Greenstein and Johnson were among the most likely to receive the needed votes this time around.

"The First Lady of Poker"

Johnson becomes just the second woman to become a Poker Hall of Famer, joining 1995 WSOP Main Event final tablist and three-time bracelet winner Barbara Enright who was inducted in 2007.

"I am extremely proud and humbled to be voted into the Poker Hall of Fame," said Johnson upon learning she had been selected. "I feel lucky to have been involved in many facets of poker over the past 35 years. Being recognized by the industry is a tremendous honor."

While Enright was the first woman to win a WSOP bracelet in an open-event -- and first and only to make it to the Main Event final table -- Johnson is the one whose contributions to the poker community at large earned her the nickname "First Lady of Poker." (Indeed, it was Sexton who first bestowed the name upon her many years ago.)

Johnson first began playing poker in the 1970s, and after final-tabling a WSOP Ladies Event in the early 1980s decided to become a poker pro -- a somewhat unusual move for a woman thirty years ago. The Long Island native then moved to Las Vegas where she played full time for the next dozen years.

In 1993, Johnson purchased Card Player magazine and for the next eight years served as the magazine's publisher. This was a formative period not just for Card Player but for the poker industry as a whole, thus making Johnson's contributions to the magazine all the more consequential. She also picked up her own WSOP bracelet during that period, winning the 1997 $1,500 razz event.

In a 2008 interview with Gary Wise, Johnson explained how the magazine's primary purpose "was to support the poker industry." Thus did she help consciously position Card Player to provide a kind of "good will" intended to help the game grow and prosper. Meanwhile, the magazine itself grew from a humble black-and-white newsprint publication into a more substantial magazine regularly followed by the entire poker community.

Johnson has also co-authored three poker books, has worked with various poker-related organizations including the important Tournament Directors Association (which she helped start), was an announcer for the World Poker Tour for six seasons, and is a member of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. Johnson is also known for her work with various charities and for founding PokerGives.org, a site that helps poker players more easily donate to charities.

"The Robin Hood of Poker"

Speaking of giving back, Greenstein also has long been known for his generosity, too, his many gifts to charities earning him the nickname the "Robin Hood of Poker." As Greenstein explained to me in an interview a couple of years ago, it has been a while since he's donated all of his poker winnings to charity as he once did. He does, however, continue to work with Children, Incorporated, a non-profit organization that provides for children in the U.S. and around the world.

In that interview, I asked Greenstein to recount for me his greatest poker tourney triumph and he unhesitatingly referred to his first WPT win at the Jack Binion World Poker Open in 2004. Back then Greenstein was still donating all of his winnings to charity, and in fact it was the thought of helping others with the money that he said formed "a lot of the drive behind the whole plan" he had for playing.

"I got to do some good things with that money and I was really proud of it. It was really great for my family, also, because up until then I was just someone playing poker and maybe even wasting my time where I could have been successful at other things."

Greenstein won a whopping $1,278,370 for that 2004 WPT win. He'd go on to win a second WPT title to go along with three WSOP bracelets. Thus in addition to his long-running success in high-stakes cash games, Greenstein has accumulated over $7 million in tourney winnings over the last two decades. His 2005 book Ace on the River: An Advanced Poker Guide continues to be read and praised for its valuable advice to would-be pros.

In response to the news that he was selected, Greenstein characteristically directed the spotlight away from himself when expressing his gratitude. "I'm happy to be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside my friend Linda Johnson who has been the most fervent ambassador for poker for as long as I can remember" said Greenstein.

Without sharing specifics regarding how I voted this year, I will say that I am in agreement with Sexton and others that both Greenstein and Johnson are especially worthy of their inductions and thus would like to add my congratulations here to both.

Here is a full alphabetical list of all 42 Poker Hall of Famers, including this year's inductees. (Year inducted in parentheses):