Who Would You Induct Into the Poker Hall of Shame?

There has been much chatter about the Poker Hall of Fame in recent weeks after the World Series of Poker announced the 10 finalists for the 2016 edition.

It is the same every year once the finalists are announced: The poker community jumps on their soap box and gives their two cents about which players are on the ballot paper but shouldn’t be and who has been snubbed (rightly or wrongly).

Everyone has a different opinion regarding who should be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, but one thing is for certain: None of the names below will ever be put up in lights, that is, unless the WSOP decided to create a Poker Hall of Shame.

Here are eight possible nominations for a Poker Hall of Shame.

Russ Hamilton

Russ Hamilton was named the main beneficiary of the Ultimate Bet scandal after an investigation by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), a scandal that effectively stole more than $22 million from Ultimate Bet’s customers with the help of a “super user” account.

The KGC said in its statement it had found 117 user names held by 23 accounts and that “the vast majority of the computer devices and IP addresses used by the cheating accounts were directly associated with Russell Hamilton. The vast majority of the cheating accounts transferred money through Russell Hamilton’s player accounts.”

In May 2013, audio recordings were released where Hamilton and his management team can be heard discussing the scandal and their plans to cover it up. During one of those recordings, Hamilton is heard saying, “I did take this money and I’m not trying to make it right, so we’ve got to get that out of the way real quick.”

Hamilton won the 1994 WSOP Main Event for $1 million and his weight in silver.

Ray Bitar

Ray Bitar is the former CEO of Full Tilt Poker and was at the helm when Full Tilt had its operating license revoked by the Alderney Gaming Control Commission, then ultimately shut up shop. Full Tilt owed its customers $443 million, which to this day still hasn’t been fully refunded, despite PokerStars making the funds available to the U.S. Department of Justice after it acquired Full Tilt’s assets.

Bitar was arrested by U.S. authorities in 2013, his first return to the states since “Black Friday,” and charged with a number of internet gambling offenses. Bitar pleaded guilty to the charges, spent a mere seven days in jail and was forced to hand over his assets, which were rumored to include $40 million in cash.

The fact that Bitar was a Class IV heart transplant candidate spared him additional jail time, but less than three years later, photographs emerged of Bitar’s million-dollar wedding with him looking very much alive and well.

Annie Duke

With almost $4.3 million in live tournament winnings, Annie Duke finds herself third in the female poker players’ all-time money listings, yet it is not her poker prowess that she’s likely to be remembered for.

Duke was long associated with Ultimate Bet, …

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