Daniel Negreanu on HOF Candidate Bruno Fitoussi: He was instrumental in poker becoming more of a global game

RankingHero members have every reason to be proud of their contribution to the nomination of @Bruno Fitoussi for induction to Poker Hall of Fame! The community was actively involved in the public voting campaign, in social media, and of course, here, on RankingHero, with the special summer mission #M4TheKing, asking entrants to post their three reasons for voting for Bruno to #PokerHOF. 

The shortlisted candidates have now been announced:

As announced on WSOP.com: 

The above list of names will be submitted to the 21 living Hall of Fame members and a 20-person media panel later this month for voting. Only these 41 individuals cast votes for induction.

The criteria they will consider in their vote are as follows:
• A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
• Be a minimum of 40 years old at time of nomination
• Played for high stakes
• Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
• Stood the test of time
• Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.

The 2014 Class of the Poker Hall of Fame will be inducted as part of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table festivities at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas during a special dinner and induction held Sunday, November 9.

Bruno Fitoussi might well become the first European to join the ranks of some of the greatest players and influencers in poker history! There is little one can add to what Negreanu has written about Bruno in his latest HOF blog:

"He [Bruno Fitoussi] qualifies on all the criteria, but mostly it's his contribution as a pioneer in spreading the game globally and getting Americans to make the trip over to Paris before the inception of The World Poker Tour. He was instrumental in poker becoming more of a global game."

European Poker Community Rallies Behind Bruno Fitoussi to Poker Hall of Fame

@Bruno Fitoussi 'The King' is a living legend in France where he is honored as one of the 'founding fathers of poker' in the country and has been a role model and inspiration for players of all generations. But he is also among the first - and rare - Europeans to build a reputation for himself and gain the respect and admiration of American players, as well. 

In a recent interview, Daniel Negreanu urged for 'de-Americanization' of this institution of poker and named @Bruno Fitoussi as the worthy European HOF candidate: 

Question: If you could change just one thing about the Poker Hall of Fame, what would it be?

Negreanu: Well, it’s way too American-centric. The Hall of Fame should reflect the growth of the game and the influence of other players, like overseas. So many people have done so much.

Question: So give us a name or two of people from overseas who you think deserve to be in the Poker Hall of Fame?

Negreanu: Easy. Bruno Fitoussi is the first. He’s done so much in France and all over Europe for poker. Everyone loves Bruno and respects him. He was one of the first people to bring Americans over to Paris to see the poker scene there.

If you, too, think it's time to induct a European in the Poker Hall of Fame, you have until the end of this week to vote and nominate Bruno Fitoussi. 

After the 15th of August, "all submissions will be tabulated and the top 10 nominations will be reviewed by the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council. The existing Poker Hall of Fame members and a blue ribbon media panel will then cast votes of the final list of nominees to determine the class of 2014".

You can now participate in the RankingHero #M4TheKing mission and give your own three reasons for nominating Fitoussi for #PokerHOF (switch your language settings to 'Francais' if you want to see the submissions by our French-speaking members :)

Meanwhile, watch Bruno move up to a runner-up finish (repeatedly enraging and eliminating Phil Hellmuth in the process :) at the WSOP 2007 H.O.R.S.E. Championship - arguably the toughest and most prestigious tournament in the world:

 WSOP 2007 H.O.R.S.E, Episodes 1-6

Public Nominations for Poker Hall of Fame Open Till August 15

VOTE for Bruno here