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4w ago

Jack McClelland, Hall of Fame Tournament Director, Dies at 74

His stewardship of major events helped shape televised tournament poker.

McClelland, with Mike Sexton and friends, at his retirement ceremony in 2013.
As a TD as a player and as a fan, McClelland loved the game of poker.
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Jack McClelland

Overview

  • The World Series of Poker and PokerGO announced his death Monday on X, drawing tributes from prominent players and officials.
  • He directed the WSOP in the 1980s and 1990s, then led Bellagio’s poker room from 2002 until retiring after the WPT Five Diamond Classic in 2013.
  • He entered the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014 as a contributor alongside Daniel Negreanu.
  • His Bellagio tenure aligned with the rise of televised poker, including the introduction of hole-card cameras on World Poker Tour broadcasts.
  • After retiring he underwent a heart transplant and later returned to regular play, highlighted by a 2021 Seven Card Stud Championship final table and a July 18 cash at the Wynn.