My first glimpse of Tom was watching him play heads-up at the final table against Rod Peate for the gold bracelet in 1983, the first year I attended the World Series of Poker. My first impression was that he looked a little bit like one of those Sears-Roebuck cowboys you used to see in the mail-order catalogs. He was wearing a black rendition of a cowboy hat, a bright shiny shirt, and Coke-bottle glasses. He hadn't had the Stetson blocked, so it was stiff and people called it his cardboard cowboy hat. My first chance to meet him was to shake hands with him when he won the championship.

A few years later we started playing together and became pretty good friends. Then, suddenly it seemed, we decided to get together and write a book on poker with our friend Dana Smith. The number of books we co-authored grew to four, and our friendship grew stronger right along with them. It's strange how opposites attract: No two friends could be more different from each other. Tom is a former CPA, and I've been a gambler all my life. Other than my father, Tom is the most honest man I've ever met. Let me put it this way: I wish I were as upstanding as McEvoy is. I'm close, but not at all in his ballpark.

And there's not a thing he wouldn't do for a friend. Tom has a heart as big as the Grand Canyon, and he does a lot of things for people that you seldom hear about. He also does a lot for the community, including several small charities he donates time to. Over the years, Tom has become a part of the make-up of Las Vegas. In August you'll see him for about the tenth year straight at Binion's where he'll be donating memorabilia and his time to the Injured Police Officers Fund poker tournament.

McEvoy has written 12 poker books, solo and with other co-authors, including Brad Daugherty, Dana Smith and me. He's a very good poker player, too. Some people think that when a guy hasn't won a tournament recently, he's lost his edge. But not Tom-he simply doesn't play as often as he used to. His role in poker might've diminished, but Tom is still the same outgoing, generous, and honest guy he's always been.

Tom is one of the original World Champions of Poker to represent the online giant, Pokerstars. He won the televised Professional Poker Tour (PPT) title in 2005, plus four WSOP titles, including the limit hold'em and no-limit hold'em championships in 1983, a razz title in 1986, and the limit Omaha-high championship heads up against Berry Johnston in 1992. Today he is a valued instructor on the teaching teams we field at the World Poker Tour boot camps.

But I think that the achievement Tom is most proud of happened 10 years ago, back in 1999 at Sam's Town Casino in Las Vegas. It was an event that turned the Vegas poker scene on its heels-the first nonsmoking poker tournament in the history of the city. Tom and Casey Kastle had been campaigning for nonsmoking tournaments for years, and finally succeeded in their efforts. The next step was making casino poker rooms nonsmoking, as they are today. Thanks to Tom and Casey, we can all play poker without any secondhand smoke creeping up our noses.

I think Tom McEvoy should be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, as much for his championships as for the body of work he has contributed to the world of poker over the past 25 years or so. Next time you see Tom in a casino, or have a chance to chat with him online, tell him T.J. tipped his Stetson to him.

This is T.J. signing off from Texas to the world, stopping off at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars tournament along the way from Dallas to San Jose. [collapse article]

For the last few months I've been campaigning to get Tom McEvoy inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame now that Harrah's has opened it up to nominations from the public.

This morning around 1:00 at the Rio, Tom took one fantastic step toward the recognition he so rightly deserves. He won the first annual Champions Invitational tournament at the World Series of Poker.

I sweated Tom through most of the tournament and I can tell you for a fact that he showed the gallery what a class player he really is. I think the key hand was when he broke Doyle Brunson when Doyle was holding A-K and Tom had J-J, and his jacks held up. Then when it got down to three-handed between him, Dan Harrington and Robert Varkonyi, Tom played brilliantly, just like a Hall of Famer and a real pro should play.

Jack Binion himself presented McEvoy with the first-ever Binion Cup, and Jeffrey Pollock gave him the keys to a 1970 fully refurbished Corvette Stingray convertible. What Tom said about Jack was kinda humorous: "This is the first time he's handed me a trophy instead of money (for winning a tournament)." This victory is just one more notch in Tom's belt. He's been working hard at poker since 1983 when he won the championship, and has helped a lot of people along the way with his books and lessons and his generosity.

If defeating 19 other world champions of poker in head-to-head battle, winning four WSOP gold bracelets, writing 12 books on poker, teaching WPT seminars, playing tons of charity events, and getting nonsmoking cardrooms and tournaments into Vegas doesn't qualify you for the Hall of Fame, what does? I can't think of anybody more deserving. McEvoy has given so much back to poker, it's time he gets recognition for his contributions. (link to original article at pokerpages.com) [collapse article]