PokerWorks

The Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHoF) recently made known that it was accepting nominations for inductees for its second annual ceremony. After several weeks of submission activity, the three 2009 nominees have been announced, and the women to be honored at the June 5 ceremony are Jan Fisher, June Field, and Cyndy Violette.

There were several criteria that the nominees were required to meet, including activity as a player or industry leader for a minimum of 15 years prior to the election, significant contributions to the world of poker, and support of women-only poker events. Those who met those requirements and were inducted into the WiPHoF in 2008 were Barbara Enright, Linda Johnson, Susie Isaacs, and Marsha Waggoner.

Fisher is well-known in the poker industry as a the co-founder of the Tournament Directors Association and business partner in Card Player Cruises, but she began her career in the 1970’s as a poker dealer and moved into a role as a player and tournament director. She maintained positions through the years as a columnist for a poker magazine, statistician for the World Poker Tour, and instructor for WPT Boot Camp. In addition, she uses her many years of knowledge about the poker industry to assist organizations like the Poker Players Alliance, Ladies Poker Association, and Ladies International Poker Series by serving on their Boards of Directors.

Field no longer plays or participates professionally in the poker industry but did so for many years. At the tables, she won a WSOP bracelet in a ladies-only stud event in 1982, but away from the tables, she founded Card Player Magazine in 1988 and went on to launch Poker Digest. She also contributed to the founding of Card Player Cruises and Classic Poker Cruises.

Violette is best known for her professional poker achievements, having accumulated more than $1.2 million in tournament winnings since the start of her career in the 1980’s, though she has also had countless successes in the cash game arena throughout that time. The many tournament wins in her life came together for a WSOP bracelet win in 2004 in a seven-card stud event, though many other final tables and deep finishes are staggered throughout her decades in the game. She can still be found at major tournaments and high-stakes cash game tables in cities around the United States.

The three women - Fisher, Field, and Violette - will be honored at the Women in Poker Hall of Fame induction ceremony scheduled to take place on June 5, 2009, at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas. The evening’s festivities will be complete with dinner and speeches to give respect to the three newest inductees who have significantly contributed to the game of poker through the years.

In addition, the ceremony proceeds will benefit the newest partner with WiPHoF, which is the charity organization Poker Gives. The non-profit group raises funds for causes that currently include Sunflower Children, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Special Olympics, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and American Cancer Society.