In an announcement over their Twitter feed on Thursday, Caesars Entertainment and World Series of Poker officials announced the list of nominees for induction into the “mythical” Poker Hall of Fame (I will save my“physical” Poker Hall rant this year). The ten men on the list are no strangers to having been nominated and all are well deserving of induction. But the voting process has changed from year’s previous, which may have some weight when it comes to who is inducted during the heads-up match that will crown the “hybrid” 2020 WSOP “World Champion.”
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Change is Not Always Good
In prior years, there would have been a lengthy period to compile a list of nominees for the honor of entering poker’s Valhalla, with a similar consideration towards the vote. This year, it seems like it was rushed when the “hybrid” 2020 WSOP event was put together. But that’s a minor situation compared to other changes.
There is also a change in the voting panel for the Poker Hall of Fame. Instead of the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame and an equal number of media, poker historians and others knowledgeable about the subject, 2020 will see only the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame eligible to vote. Those 31 people will have ten votes each that they can disperse as they please but, in another change, only the top vote getter will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
To be honest, none of these changes are improvements of the Poker Hall of Fame. The media contingent provides a balance to the living Hall members, hopefully bringing a bit of historical knowledge about the process to balance out the anecdotal “I was there” evidence from the living Hall members. It is also short-sighted to only induct one new member when there is obviously a backlog of potential entries that now will be banished to the dustbin of history as the “internet age” takes over the memory of people.
Hey, 2020 has screwed up a lot of things. Maybe this is a one-year aberration…
Handicapping the Field – The Long Shots
With the new voting procedures implemented, there is a definitive line between the “favorites” and the “long shots” when it comes to the Poker Hall of Fame. We will break them down here, starting with:
Antonio Esfandiari (10-1) – Esfandiari has been able to put together an outstanding career, earning the first “Big One for One Drop” WSOP Championship and picking up other major victories on the WSOP and World Poker Tour trails. He continues to be at the forefront of the game and is still active (OK, maybe not as much as in the past), which means we may not have seen the best of Esfandiari quite yet.
Mike Matusow (15-1) – Matusow is one of those players who seemingly has had an outstanding career but, when you hold his credentials up to most every other Poker Hall of Famer, he fades a bit. He was a key cog in the “poker boom,” however, with his battle against Greg Raymer at the 2004 WSOP Championship Event etched into history. Since we’ve decided that you can have borderline career stats but get in because you were “influential,” people will always look at Matusow as “worthy.”
Matt Savage (20-1) – Savage is only one of the most influential “industry” people in the game. His work as a tournament director is beyond compare and his efforts to bring the tournament world under a unified structure with the Tournament Directors Association (a group he helped found) continues to this day. But he is one that is hurt by the living members of the Hall being the only voters – players would rather vote for players, to be honest. Thus, another year will go by without Savage being inducted.
Patrik Antonius (25-1) – If my memory is correct, this is the first nomination for Antonius to enter the Hall. This also demonstrates some of the problems with the Hall; if you’re looking to honor Antonius but not Thor Hansen, Marcel Luske or a host of other international pros that came before him, how can he be honored? This isn’t a problem that is singularly of the Poker Hall of Fame, however.
Lon McEachern & Norm Chad (50-1) – A rare ‘group’ nominee, but it is deserved since they are pretty much inseparable to poker fans because of their tandem work as announcers on ESPN’s poker broadcasts. Once again, they fall victim to the fact that they are not players, despite Norm’s dalliances in Seven Card Stud. If they were to be inducted, it would also be the first time that the Poker Hall of Fame has recognized the media’s works regarding the game.
Isai Scheinberg (50-1) – Do not let the odds diminish the work that Scheinberg has done in poker. As the founder of PokerStars, the only thing that I believe kept Scheinberg from being nominated previously was his outstanding legal issues with the federal government. Now that those have been cleared up, he is getting the nomination he deserves. The problem is that he’s been nominated in a year where there are only players voting and the media is being shut out AND the fact that there will only be one inductee.
With that we’re left with our three favorites (Chris Ferguson was disregarded for consideration because of prior actions).
Handicapping the Field – The Favorites
There are only three men can be what you might consider to be “favorites” and they have waited patiently for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. That anyone on this list gets overlooked is unfortunate but, for one of these three men, the “wait ‘til next year” lamentation is going to sting a bit more.
Huck Seed (4-1) – One of the few former World Champions that HASN’T earned induction (for eff’s sake, Moneymaker got in before him), Seed has waited patiently to hear his name called. He’s got the credentials, he’s more than covered all the criteria…what’s keeping him out? The factor that he hasn’t embraced the “internet age” of poker. It would be a huge embarrassment for the Poker Hall of Fame if they didn’t induct one of the greats of the game.
Ted Forrest (2-1) – Forrest has done it all in the game – won tournaments, been a top cash game professional and is considered one of the “good guys” in the game. He hasn’t been quite as active in the past few years, but he doesn’t have to be…what else does he have to prove? In a normal year, he would be one of the inductees; that he will be waiting another year demonstrates the idiocy of the singular induction in 2020 by the Poker Hall of Fame.
Eli Elezra (EVEN) – The odds are all in Elezra’s favor for induction in 2020. The players are the only ones doing the voting (and he’s played against virtually all of them) and they know he’s still at the peak of his game. Elezra has also, like Forrest, done it across the board – tournaments, cash games, low stakes, high…he’s done it all. The only reason to give Elezra a slight edge over Forrest is that Elezra has been more successful of late. They should go in together, but we’ll have to settle for Elezra for 2020.
The eventual inductee will be announced December 30 during the play of the heads-up match between the International Champion of the “hybrid” 2020 WSOP tournament and his opponent who becomes the U. S. Champion. Perhaps in 2021, we’ll get back to the normal situation when it comes to inducting new members of the Poker Hall of Fame. For 2020, however, we’ll have to settle for this…
Table Of Contents
Now through Friday, Dec. 11, poker fans can head over to WSOP.com/PHOF and make nominations for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year, only one honoree will be inducted, as was the case from 1980-2004.
The open-nomination process is held to identify other worthy nominees to round out the final ballot. In addition, the 2019 finalists all remain eligible for induction including Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow, and Huck Seed.
The final ballot will be revealed by Caesars Entertainment on Wednesday, Dec. 16. That list will then be sent to the 32 living Hall of Fame members to cast their votes. Unlike years past, there is no mention of select members of the poker media being allowed to vote. The sole 2020 inductee will be revealed and honored during the WSOP Main Event heads-up finale on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
Whoever is selected will become the 59th individual inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and follow in the footsteps of Chris Moneymaker and David Oppenheim, who comprised the class of 2019.
In order to be eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame, nominees must meet the following criteria:
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Be a minimum of 40-years-old at time of nomination
- Played for high stakes
- Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
- Stood the test of time
- Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible
positive and lasting results
The 2019 Candidates Still Eligible (in alphabetical order)
Chris Bjorin
The 73-year-old Swedish-born poker pro, Chris Bjorin, sits second on Sweden’s all-time money list, only behind 2014 WSOP Main Event winner Martin Jacobson. Bjorin’s consistent tournament poker success is marked by more than $5.7 million in earnings. He also has two bracelets to his credit, 92 WSOP cashes (seventh-most), and has the fifth-most WSOP Main Event cashes with seven. Still going strong, he has cashed for six-figures in 19 different calendar years across his career.
Poker Hall Of Fame List
David Chiu
David Chiu’s tournament poker career dates back to 1996, and in the intervening more than two decades he has racked up more than $8 million in earnings, including five WSOP bracelet wins and a $3.3 million 2008 WPT World Championship win where he defeated Gus Hansen heads up.
With 74 total WSOP cashes, the 57-year-old’s five bracelets came in limit hold’em, seven-card stud, and Omaha hi-lo, showcasing his versatility.
After being born in China, Chiu moved to the U.S. at age 18 and was a restaurant owner in Colorado before transitioning into dealing poker and then playing full-time.
Eli Elezra
Eliahu “Eli” Elezra is a 58-year-old Israeli poker professional now residing in Las Vegas. The former lieutenant in the Israeli army picked up the game after suffering a leg injury during the Lebanon War in 1982. While bedridden, the boredom led to cards and it now leads to a finalist list for the Poker Hall of Fame. But not before several jobs and business ventures, including gutting fish in Alaska and opening 30-minute photo processing shops in Las Vegas.
Poker Hall Of Fame Phil
Elezra is mostly known in poker circles for high stakes cash game action, but with a poker career spanning 20 years, the affable Elezra has also won four WSOP gold bracelets, a WPT title, amassed 64 WSOP cashes and more than $3.7 million in tournament winnings. The married father of five is now a long-time Las Vegas resident and has been a regular in the poker scene here for two decades.
Antonio Esfandiari
Known as “The Magician” from his previous occupation, Esfandiari became first-time eligible in 2019 after turning 40. Esfandiari may be best known for winning the inaugural WSOP Big One for One Drop $1 million buy-in tournament and its $18.3 million first-place prize, but the Magician has had a terrific tournament career since taking up the game in 2002. He sits ninth on the all-time money list with more than $27 million, including three WSOP gold bracelets and two WPT titles.
The Iranian-born Esfandiari is known for his talkative and outgoing personality at the tables and has even turned that charm into part-time work as a color analyst on ESPN WSOP telecasts.
Chris Ferguson
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson has been playing poker since 1993 and playing it well. He’s won over $9 million playing tournament poker, including winning the WSOP Main Event over Poker Hall of Famer TJ Cloutier in 2000 for $1.5 million. In 2017, he claimed WSOP Player of the Year honors.
However, the 57-year-old, who has his doctoral degree in computer science, was also embroiled in the Full Tilt scandal in 2011, which some feel hurts his chances of induction.
Ted Forrest
A six-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, Forrest captured his latest bracelet by slaying Phil Hellmuth heads up to win the razz event at the 2014 WSOP. The 55-year-old New York native has won more than $6.3 million during his career spanning three decades.
Forrest’s first cash at the WSOP was a victory at the 1993 WSOP when he won Event #11, the $5,000 buy-in stud event. But if that wasn’t a coming out party, it only took two days longer to cement his name in poker circles. He went on to win Events #12 and #13 too – incredibly winning three WSOP gold bracelets in three consecutive events in three variants of poker – the first and only time that has occurred in WSOP history.
Forrest’s resume is littered with success in every major variant of poker, and he’s captured a WPT and National Heads Up title. He’s also a noted cash game player, even taking part in the famed high-stakes heads-up cash games with Andy Beal.
Mike Matusow
Fifty-two-year-old Mike “The Mouth” Matusow has four bracelets and more than $9.4 million in tournament earnings to his name. He has many deep runs in large-field events and has final tabled 15 WSOP events, including the Main Event in both 2001 and again in 2005. He also has five WPT final tables and won the $20,000 buy-in NBC Heads-Up Championship in 2013.
Huckleberry Seed
Huck Seed is a four-time bracelet winner with $7.6 million in earnings. Seed has demonstrated great versatility in his game with bracelet wins in Razz and PLO, the 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions, and in the 1996 Main Event. He also has two $50K Poker Players Championship final table appearances and a win in the NBC Heads-Up Championship. Since his first tournament result in 1990, Seed has posted earnings in the six-figures in 22 different calendar years.
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