Who else will join our Hall of Fame in 2011?

The Hall of Fame committee members have a difficult time deciding on which player or administrator deserves to join the nine personalities who already reside in the Australian Poker Hall of Fame. Here are some players who are under consideration to join the Hall of Fame in 2011. Honorees will be announced during the Aussie Millions in January 2012.

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  The 2001 Mike Comer Classic and past APA champion and remains firmly entrenched among Australia’s best cash and tournament players. Respected and successful over a long career, he ticks all the Hall of Fame boxes. He won the $15,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event at the 2007 Victorian Championships, where he outlasted a quality field before embarking on one of the richest runs of form in his decorated career.

  This included third in the Omaha Hi-Lo Split World Championship at the 2008 WSOP for more than USD $200,000 before he finished the year as runner-up to Martin Rowe in the APPT Grand Final for a career-high cash of $476,000. Gray bagged almost $100,000 for his third-place finish in the 2009 Vic Champs Main Event and returned to the winner’s circle when he defeated fellow Sydneysider John Maklouf to win the 2010 ANZPT Canberra title.

  Like many of his contemporaries, the experience learned in the days before the tables were flooded with young online pros has helped him amass an enviable record in recent times. Another big payday arrived in 2009 when he placed third in the APPT Grand Final for $213,000. Boxell then added another APPT final table to his CV with ninth in Auckland earlier this year.

  
  
  
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  When it comes to reaching the final table in major Aussie events, few can match the record of this livewire Sydneysider. He has been achieving solid results for two decades, highlighted by his win in the 2001 Australasian championships. He has also cashed in successive WSOP Main Events (2006-07).

  His list of final table appearances in recent times include the $5000 Pot Limit Omaha event at the 2008 Vic Champs, $1000 NLHE event at the 2009 Aussie Millions, 2009 PokerNews Cup Main Event, High Stakes tournament at the 2009 Vic Champs, ANZPT Melbourne in 2009.

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  One of the Australia’s most famous poker exports, Keith “Bendigo” Sloan helped put our game and players on the map – first in his role to help establish poker as part of Crown’s gaming program when the casino first opened; then via his numerous business and media interests throughout the world over the past five years.

  Things came full circle for Sloan in 2010 when he returned to Crown to oversee the TV production for the Aussie Millions; a tournament that he helped establish and promote almost a decade earlier. Hall of Fame committee members have a tough time measuring the merits of potential non-playing inductees alongside the likes of Legends like Hachem and Lisandro.

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  A vastly experienced Aussie has enjoyed a rich vein of results over the years. It’s interesting to note for one who doesn’t play internationally too often that some of his best results have been recorded abroad. They include 12th in the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event and third in the first WPT Five-Diamond Classic at the Bellagio.

  On home soil, his record includes victory in the heads-up event at APPT Sydney last year, 10th in the 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event and three runner-up finishes (Main Event, High Stakes and $5000 PLO) at the 2009 Victorian Championships. Combined with a respected cash-game record, Lechich’s CV can’t be ignored by the Hall of Fame selectors.