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The Australian Poker Hall of Fame saw some new players inducted as David Gorr and Jason Gray were honored at the 2012 Aussie Millions. These two met the qualifying standards for the APHOF, which include being a resident of Australia or New Zealand, demonstrating long-term commitment to the game, and displaying excellence on the poker tables.
David Gorr and Jason Gray were surprised with the news, as Gorr explained to PokerNews.com: “Well, first of all, I didn’t know I was going to be inducted,” Gorr said. “I found out five minutes before. They said stay around; you need to be up at the front. I’m really honored and humbled that they have chosen me. I’ve been in poker a long time, that’s true, and I was the 1996 Adelaide Champion, but it took another 15 years for me to win a tournament, so you can see the stamina you need to hang around and hopefully win a tournament. It’s fantastic, it will be interesting to see what my wife says when I get home.”
Gorr was the champ at the Main Event in last year’s Aussie Millions, that win increased Gorr’s popularity by a lot, and it also moved him into 4th place on the career earnings by an Australian. Gorr has totaled over a million dollars in his career and can still be found playing games in Australia and around the world.
The pair join the 11 other inductees to the APHOF, including the inaugural members from 2009 Joe Hachem (who was bestowed with the title Legend of Poker), Antanas “Tony G” Gouga, Jeffrey Lisandro (who also was granted Legend of Poker status the following year), Lee Nelson, Billy “The Croc” Arygos, Mel Judah, Gary Benson, and Maury Pears (who is also the APHOF Chairman). In 2010 Marsha Waggoner became the first female member of the APHOF, and in 2011 the APHOF added Leo Boxell and Danny McDonagh.
The first inaugural class was in 2009 and included eight poker pros who met the criteria of the APHOF. According to the latest poker news, the 2010 class consisted of one woman, Marsh Waggoner, and the 2011 class included Leo Boxell and Danny McDonagh.
There are a few requirements that a player must meet to be even considered for admission into the hall of fame. The most important rule is that the player is required to either have been or currently be a resident of Australia or New Zealand. Beyond that a player must have been at the top of his game or a contributor that helped the Australian Poker or New Zealand Poker world in a positive way. Congratulations to both Jason Gray and David Gorr! After these 2 men are admitted, there will be a total of 13 Australian players in the Hall of Fame. |
