Poker Hall of Fame Opens Nominations to Public

Who do you think should be in the Poker Hall of Fame? Well, this week is your chance to have a say on who the 64^th member will be as nominations open to the public.

Patrik Antonius got the nod last year, joining legends of the game that go all the way back to 1979 when the first inductees appeared, including James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickock, Nick “The Greek” Dandalos, and Johnny Moss.

In the intervening years, Doyle Brunson, David “Chip” Reese, Stu “the Kid” Ungar, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Sexton, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman and Phil Ivey have all seen their portraits grace the walls in the Poker Hall of Fame.

This year’s voting process will add another lucky recipient to that iconic list. Of course, you can’t just nominate yourself; there are multiple criteria a player (or outstanding industry person) has to meet.

Poker Hall of Fame Criteria:

– Age of Experience: at least 40 years of age at the time of nomination.
– High Stakes Experience: Having played and proven themselves at the high stakes.
– Respected by Peers: Held in high regard by fellow poker players and having faced acknowledged top competition at the poker table.
– Consistent Excellence: Played consistently well, earning the respect of peers.
– Legacy That Lasts: Withstanding the test of time and achieving longevity in poker.
– Shaping the Game: For non-players, contributing to the game of poker in a way that has resulted in lasting, positive results.

Phil Ivey added his views on what qualities the successful ‘candidate’ should possess…

2017 Poker Hall of Fame inductee @philivey shares his thoughts on what characteristics the next PHOF Inductee should have.

Nominations open today! Make your voice heard!

More info:https://t.co/eZvra2nNXB#WSOP2025 pic.twitter.com/6gjrfyNcs1

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 6, 2025

Who Is Likely to get the Nod?

Frontrunners for the nominations are thick on the ground, with several established monsters of the game turning 40 this year, and others returning for another chance at being picked.

Last year’s finalists, pipped at the post by Antonius, were Josh Arieh, Barny Boatman, “Miami” John Cernuto, Ted Forrest, Kathy Liebert, Mike Matusow, Matt Savage, Isai Scheinberg, and Bill Smith.

If you don’t fancy any of those as your pick this year, you can nominate the player of your choice, but one man who will have to wait until next year is Jason Koon —his 40^th birthday in August comes just a couple of months too late!

How to Submit your Nomination

The Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council is accepting nominations from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 15, with players, fans, and all members of the poker community encouraged to submit their nomination.

The 2025 Poker Hall of Fame Online Ballot is the place to go and two days after nominations close, 10 finalists will be announced. After that, each of the living Poker Hall of Fame members get a vote on who they believe is “the most deserving to be cemented into poker history”.

He, or she, will be announced prior to Event #92: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty on Friday, July 11.

Hall of Fame Poker Room

The room opened inside Horseshoe Las Vegas in July 2023 and features a first-of-its-kind Poker Hall of Fame exhibit acknowledging poker’s most legendary players with a Gallery of Champions, WSOP bracelets and rings.

The full list of Poker Hall of Fame inductees reads:

For more information on the Poker Hall of Fame, visit http://www.wsop.com/pokerhalloffame/

Andrew Burnett

Professional Poker Journalist

An avid poker player, he dreams of one day playing the WSOP Main Event and has promised himself he will fold aces and kings if he gets them on the first hand to avoid front-page headlines. [more]