The
Poker Hall of Fame is the
hall of fame of professional
poker in the
United States. Founded in
Las Vegas, it was created in 1979 by
Benny Binion, the owner of the
Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve as a tourist attraction to his casino. Binion was known for the creative ways in which he marketed his casino. In 1949, he convinced
Johnny Moss and
Nick "The Greek" Dandolos to play high-stakes poker
heads up where the public could watch them. In 1970, he invited a group of poker players to compete in what would be the first
World Series of Poker (WSOP). When Harrah's Entertainment, now known as
Caesars Entertainment, acquired the rights to the WSOP in 2004, it also assumed ownership of the Poker Hall of Fame. Currently, membership in the Poker Hall of Fame is handled directly by the WSOP.