The late great Layne Flack, who passed away last year, was selected as the 2022 Poker Hall of Fame inductee during a Hall of Fame bounty event at the WSOP Sunday afternoon.
"Back-to-Back" Flack beat out nine other talented nominees, all of whom are also deserving of the honor. The list of close calls include Matt Savage, Josh Arieh, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Kathy Liebert, Mike Matusow, Norman Chad & Lon McEachern, Michael Mizrachi, Brian Rast, and Isai Scheinberg.
The Voting Process
Rast is the only first-time eligible nominee, and he has openly stated that he believes he's as deserving as anyone and wants to join the Poker Hall of Fame soon. But only one member is inducted each year as of 2020. In most previous years, the committee selected two players or industry personnel annually.
Last year, Eli Elezra, who won his fifth bracelet this summer, was chosen to join the exclusive club.
The voting process began in June with poker fans nominating the person they felt best deserved induction. After that, the top 10 highest vote getters were then sent to the 30 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame to vote on a winner.
The Great Layne Flack
Flack becomes the 61st member of the Poker Hall of Fame, joining a club that includes the likes of Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and many of the greatest players in poker history.
In July 2021, he passed away unexpectedly at age 52, and left behind quite a legacy as a father, friend, and poker player. As a poker pro, he was one of the most charismatic and entertaining characters at any table, and also one of the most skilled professionals in the game.
Flack won his sixth and final WSOP bracelet in 2008 in a $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event. On top of his World Series of Poker prowess, the newest Hall of Famer was a World Poker Tour champion and had over $5 million in live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob.
Beyond his success on the felt, Flack was a fan favorite during televised events because he always kept the game fun and entertaining. His friend and fellow 2022 Poker HOF nominee Matt Savage shared some kind words about Flack despite being disappointed he'll have to wait at least another year to receive the honor he's long desired.
"In the early 2000’s there was not a better player in the game, not Hellmuth, Negreanu, or Ivey," Savage told PokerNews of Layne Flack's poker skills. "I will always remember how he kept the game of poker so fun, his wit was unmatched and he NEVER took a bad beat out on the dealer or another player."
Savage, the long-time WPT Executive Tour director and perhaps the most important figure off the felt in tournament poker history, has been nominated seven of the past eight years but is still waiting for his opportunity to join the Poker Hall of Fame.
In the coming years, there are going to be some difficult decisions for the voters when a number of superstars become eligible at age 40. Legends of the game such as Tom Dwan, Phil Galfond, Vanessa Selbst, Scott Seiver, and Jason Koon headline a long list of players that will be up for consideration between 2025 and 2027.
And that doesn't even take into consideration the current backlog that includes Savage, Rast, and one of the top female poker players of all-time, Kathy Liebert.
