On August 18, 2025, the poker world lost one of its most cherished figures, Jack McClelland. He was a legendary tournament director and Hall of Famer whose vision defined the poker we play nowadays.
Introduced to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014, McClelland was honored not as a player but as a contributor. His work behind the scenes made tournaments run smoothly, elevated the player experience, and helped the game reach new heights.
McClelland was born in 1951 and learned about poker as a child thanks to his grandmother. The first game he ever played was Seven Card Stud. In one of his interviews, McClelland said that he had been broke until he was ten because he couldn’t throw a hand, adding he still managed to learn about math playing poker.
He worked his way up as a dealer and shift manager before Hall of Famer Eric Drache invited him to the World Series of Poker. McClelland served as WSOP tournament director throughout the late 80s and 90s, announcing some of the most memorable events in poker history.
McClelland led tournaments at the Bellagio from 2002 until his retirement in 2013 and contributed to the World Poker Tour during poker’s televised boom in the early 2000s.
Even after retiring and having a heart transplant, McClelland spent his later years enjoying the game at his own pace. The last time fans witnessed him at the tables was in 2021, when he reached the final table of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship and finished fifth.
Jack McClelland’s impact on the game went far beyond the tournaments he ran. He taught countless players, inspired his fans, and left a lasting legacy to his colleagues and, therefore, will be remembered with heartfelt reverence.