Wed, 01/19/2011 – 02:50 – PokerPages Staff

#5 – Kathy Liebert and Jennifer Harman Enter Poker Hall of Fame
Long overdue and more than deserved, Kathy Leibert and Jennifer Harman were finally voted into the Women’s Poker Hall of Fame.  These are not just two of the world’s foremost “women” poker players; they are amongst the most gifted “poker” players in the world. 

#4 – Phil Ivey Wins 8th WSOP Bracelet
He is so successful that it hardly registers anymore when Mr. Ivey wins another bracelet.  However, he really is a stunningly brilliant player and his first place finish at the 2010 WSOP was amazing.  His fight back against Bill Chen from a chip disadvantage, which would have mortified lesser players, was simply breathtaking.

#3 – Peter Eastgate Announces Poker Retirement
For quitting at the top, Peter Eastgate’s dramatic announcement in the midst of the 2010 WSOP Main Event that he was retiring from professional poker deserves to be commended.  His reasons were straightforward and honest – he was now financially secure, and he did not want to play at a competitive level anymore.

#2 – Michael Mizrachi’s 2010 Comeback
After soaring spectacularly into the poker stratosphere early in his career, “The Grinder” had a lean two years before 2010.  Then along came the WSOP $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship last May – and Michael was on fire.  He won the first prize of $1,559,046 and went onto make three further final tables.  Altogether, in 2010 he won more than $4 million.  The Grinder is back.

#1 – 2010 WSOP November Nine
For sheer jaw-clenching, heart-pounding tension and drama, the 2010 WSOP November Nine gets our first place.  No one expected Cheong to leave in fourth place, and when Mizrachi slipped from chip leader to loser in the flip of a card the thrills and spills were becoming almost unbearable.  A truly memorable event.