Red Hodges: Seven-Card Stud Great and 1985 Poker Hall of Famer
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 1985
Red Hodges was an American poker player whose reputation was built primarily at the seven-card stud tables. Although detailed tournament statistics from his era are scarce, his standing among his peers was significant enough to earn induction into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1985.
The World Series of Poker's historical Hall of Fame material identifies seven-card stud as Hodges' game and says he was considered the best of all time at the discipline. That reputation is the central documented achievement of a player whose career developed before modern tournament databases, televised poker and comprehensive public results became standard parts of the game.
Hodges remains part of the official WSOP Poker Hall of Fame, where he is listed as the 1985 inductee.
⠀
Who Was Red Hodges?
Red Hodges was a United States poker player best remembered as a seven-card stud specialist and a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.
Unlike many modern professionals, Hodges did not build his reputation through a publicly documented schedule of bracelet events, televised final tables or tour statistics. His recognition comes from an earlier period of poker history, when reputations were often established in high-level cash games and through years of competition against respected players.
Reliable modern sources provide very little verified biographical information about Hodges. Details such as his birth date, hometown, career tournament earnings and personal background are not consistently documented by authoritative poker sources, so they should not be treated as established facts.
What is firmly documented is his standing within poker: the Poker Hall of Fame inducted Hodges in 1985, and WSOP historical material specifically associates his reputation with seven-card stud.
⠀
Red Hodges and Seven-Card Stud
Seven-card stud was one of poker's dominant forms long before Texas Hold'em became the game most closely associated with major tournaments and televised poker.
The format requires players to make a five-card hand from seven total cards, with some cards dealt face down and others exposed to the table. Because players can see portions of their opponents' holdings, successful stud play places considerable emphasis on memory, observation, hand reading and awareness of cards that are no longer available in the deck.
Hodges developed his strongest historical reputation in that environment.
In a WSOP history of Poker Hall of Fame inductees, Hodges is identified with seven-card stud and described as having been considered the greatest player of his era at the game. That assessment is especially notable because Hall of Fame recognition during poker's earlier decades often reflected a player's reputation among experienced high-stakes competitors rather than a résumé measured primarily through published tournament statistics.
⠀
Red Hodges' 1985 Poker Hall of Fame Induction
Hodges entered the Poker Hall of Fame in 1985.
The Hall had been established only six years earlier, in 1979, making Hodges one of its early inductees. His selection placed him alongside players and poker figures whose reputations were formed before the modern expansion of the World Series of Poker.
Hodges followed 1984 inductee Murph Harrold and preceded Henry Green, who entered in 1986. Walter "Puggy" Pearson followed in 1987, while Doyle Brunson and Jack "Treetop" Straus entered in 1988.
The Hall's membership from that period also included Johnny Moss, one of the original 1979 inductees and another major figure from poker's pre-boom era.
Hodges' place in that group provides important context for his reputation. His Hall of Fame status was established well before poker became a mainstream television product and before online databases made it possible to measure careers through thousands of recorded tournament results.
⠀
Did Red Hodges Win a WSOP Bracelet?
No authoritative source reviewed for this profile provides a verified WSOP bracelet total for Red Hodges.
Modern player databases also do not show a documented WSOP tournament résumé for him. That absence should not be interpreted as proof that Hodges lacked major poker accomplishments. His career and reputation developed during an era in which cash-game excellence could carry enormous prestige and historical tournament records were far less complete.
For that reason, assigning Hodges a bracelet count, tournament earnings figure or number of recorded cashes without reliable documentation would be misleading.
⠀
Red Hodges' Tournament Earnings and Results
A verified lifetime live-tournament earnings total is not available for Hodges from the major modern databases reviewed for this profile.
CardPlayer maintains a Red Hodges player page but does not list confirmed tournament cashes, WSOP winnings, bracelets or final tables. No reliable current figure should therefore be attached to his career earnings.
This limitation illustrates an important difference between evaluating early poker figures and modern professionals.
Today's players leave extensive statistical records through the WSOP, World Poker Tour, PokerGO Tour, The Hendon Mob and other tournament databases. Players from Hodges' generation could establish formidable reputations without leaving the same kind of searchable tournament history.
Hodges is best evaluated through the achievement that can be documented: his seven-card stud reputation and his 1985 induction into the Poker Hall of Fame.
⠀
Why Red Hodges Matters in Poker History
Hodges represents a part of poker history that cannot be measured entirely through bracelets and tournament earnings.
His reputation was connected to seven-card stud, a game that occupied a much more prominent place in American poker before no-limit Texas Hold'em became the dominant tournament format. Recognition as an elite stud player placed Hodges within an important tradition of specialists whose reputations were established through sustained competition rather than modern tournament leaderboards.
His Hall of Fame induction gives that reputation an enduring institutional record.
The Poker Hall of Fame was created to recognize players who competed against top opposition, played at high stakes, earned the respect of their peers and demonstrated success over time, as well as non-players whose contributions helped poker grow. Hodges' inclusion in 1985 places him permanently within poker's recognized historical lineage.
⠀
Red Hodges' Legacy
The surviving public record of Red Hodges is considerably smaller than the records available for later Poker Hall of Famers, but the information that remains is meaningful.
He was an American poker player, seven-card stud was his signature game, and the poker establishment of his era regarded him highly enough to induct him into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1985.
Modern databases do not provide enough reliable information to reconstruct a complete tournament career, determine lifetime earnings or attach unverified championships to his résumé. Preserving that distinction is important when assessing players from poker's earlier generations.
Hodges' legacy instead rests on reputation and historical recognition. Decades after his induction, the WSOP continues to list Red Hodges among the members of the Poker Hall of Fame.
⠀
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Red Hodges?
Red Hodges was an American poker player best known for his reputation as an exceptional seven-card stud player. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1985.
⠀
When was Red Hodges inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?
Red Hodges was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1985. The current WSOP Hall of Fame directory continues to list him as that year's inductee.
⠀
What poker game was Red Hodges known for?
Red Hodges was primarily associated with seven-card stud. WSOP historical material describes stud as his game and reports that he was considered the best of all time at it.
⠀
How much did Red Hodges win playing poker?
A reliable lifetime tournament earnings total for Red Hodges is not available from the major modern poker databases reviewed for this profile. It would therefore be inaccurate to assign him an earnings figure.
⠀
How many WSOP bracelets did Red Hodges win?
No verified WSOP bracelet total for Red Hodges is available from the authoritative sources reviewed for this profile. Modern databases do not provide a documented WSOP tournament record for him.
⠀
Is Red Hodges the same person as Red Winn?
No. Red Hodges and Red Winn were different poker figures. Red Winn was one of the Poker Hall of Fame's original 1979 inductees, while Hodges entered the Hall in 1985.
⠀
Why is Red Hodges important to poker history?
Hodges is important because of his reputation as an elite seven-card stud player and his early induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. His career represents an era when poker reputations were often built in high-level games rather than through the extensive tournament records available today.
⠀
Is Red Hodges still in the Poker Hall of Fame?
Yes. The World Series of Poker's current Poker Hall of Fame directory lists Red Hodges as the 1985 inductee.