Doug Polk has lashed out at the recent Poker Hall of Fame voting, incensed that MTT director Matt Savage received more votes than Poker Stars founder Isai Scheinberg, while serial debtor Eli Elezra outpolled highstakes legend Patrik Antonius.
The Poker Hall of Fame Voting here was a complete joke.
Mtt director in 2nd?
Isai Scheinberg started the 1st or 2nd most important company in poker history and got 3rd?
Elezra ran up debts he didnt pay to how many players and got 4th?
Antonious in 7th? What world is this? pic.twitter.com/T7h3VDVCsH
— Doug Polk (@DougPolkVids) January 6, 2021
The Upswing Poker boss, currently knee-deep in his Grudge Match against Daniel Negreanu, couldn’t believe the voting for the 59th inductee into poker’s hallowed halls.
The full list of votes was as follows:
- Huckleberry Seed – 76 Votes
- Matt Savage – 51 Votes
- Isai Scheinberg – 45 Votes
- Eli Elezra – 30 Votes
- Antonio Esfandiari – 23 Votes
- Lon McEachern and Norman Chad – 20 Votes
- Ted Forrest – 20 Votes
- Mike Matusow – 17 Votes
- Patrik Antonius – 15 Votes
- Chris Ferguson – 3 Votes
Polk clearly had no problem with the winner, 1996 WSOP Main Event winner Huckleberry ‘Huck’ Seed, who took 76 votes and was a popular choice among fans.
However, Matt Savage, the Executive Tour Director of the WPT, took an incredible runner-up spot ahead of many of the game’s legends, a fact not lost on Polk.
Savage’s 51 votes were six clear of the man who helped build internet poker into what it is today, Isai Scheinberg. The PokerStars founder had been called out by a fellow nominee when the shortlist was announced…
I no longer have a vote for the Poker Hall of Fame, but it appears to me that virtually everyone nominated this year – present company excepted – is Hall of Fame-worthy, with one notable anomaly:
PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg.— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) December 21, 2020
Norman Chad, who along with fellow veteran commentator Lon McEachern took 20 votes for sixth place, ripped into Scheinberg, stating: “We would not give a poker cheater the game’s highest honor; we shouldn’t reward a businessman who cheated the system with the game’s highest honor.”
For Doug Polk, the problems didn’t end with Scheinberg’s lowly 3rd spot, as Eli Elezra came in 4th in the voting process. That process saw 30 of the 31 living Hall of Fame members voting, each voter giving points from 1-10 to each of the nominees.
The Israeli-born veteran pro took 30 votes, double that of Patrik Antonius who came in 9th (not 7th as Polk tweeted), with only Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson lower in the rankings than the Finnish legend.
Elezra’s 4th place angered Polk, who raged: “Elezra ran up debts he didn’t pay to how many players and got 4th? What world is this?”
The High Stakes Poker regular’s alleged $million+ debts hit the headlines after an AMA on the 2plus2 forum to promote his autobiography descended into multiple accusations.
Apparently that AMA with Eli Elezra was shut down after people started talking about money Elezra owes. Several threads on 2+2 about him.
Also includes some statement analysis lol https://t.co/gpl2PwIf4V pic.twitter.com/igTrMuxKcG
— Zachary Elwood (@apokerplayer) January 26, 2019
Cole South, Abe Mosseri and Shaun Deeb were among those who claimed Elezra owed them big and had done so for years, our coverage of the story here for those who missed it.
Polk’s tweet gained a lot of traction, poker fans pretty much aligned with his thinking on this issue, a selection of the replies below…
- Doesn’t make since Patrick only 15 votes. I would have put at top of the list. Am I missing something? Do other HOF members not like him for some reason.
- @MagicAntonioshould win this hands down! Followed by @Patrik_Antonius.
- The poker hall of fame is a joke. It’s a boys club. Eli and Matusow should be nowhere near the hall of fame. All they did was play in a time period where sites were throwing money at players. There are so many more qualified people.
As for Polk, he is perhaps still reeling from the comeback Daniel Negreanu has launched in their epic Grudge Match.
Yesterday’s 24th session saw DNegs take another $100k off the bill that at one point was approaching $1million. With Negreanu now on the comeback trail, you can catch all the Grudge Match action here.
Earn up to 60% partypoker rakeback!
Sign-up with Partypoker and earn up to 60% rakeback plus get our additional exclusive promotions below:
- $30 Welcome Bonus in SPINS Tickets
- Up to 60% Cashback via the Diamond Elite Club
- Exclusive $50,000 Party & Bwin Race
- Exclusive Party & Bwin Chase
- 2 x $500 Freerolls
Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, please visit www.begambleaware.org
