Poker Hall of Fame Nominees Narrowed Down to Final 10
After two weeks of nominations, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) officially announced 10 final nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
The hall recognizes some of the best in poker as well as major forces within the industry. Several of those nominated this year made the list of nominees in 2021 as well with a few also new to the group.
This list of names now heads to the 32 living members of the hall. Members then allocate a ballot of 10 total points to determine the 2022 Hall of Famer.
A look at the nominees
This year’s group of nominees runs the gamut from well-known high-stakes players to industry leaders to those heavily involved with online poker. Here’s a look at the 10 nominees.
Josh Arieh
Longtime player with four WSOP bracelets and $10.5 million in live tournament winnings. Arieh also won the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year title.
Layne Flack
Six-time WSOP bracelet winner, one-time WPT winner, and $5.1 million in live tournament winnings. Flack passed away in 2021.
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier
Online poker legend who has also scored big in the live arena with two WSOP bracelets, one WPT title, and $14.8 million in live tournament winnings.
Kathy Liebert
Longtime poker pro who began playing when not many women were in the game. She has one WSOP bracelet and five WPT final table appearances.
Mike Matusow
A regular on TV in the poker boom of the 2000s, he has four WSOP bracelets and two Main Event final table appearances. Matusow also won the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions for $1 million.
Lon McEachern and Norman Chad
Longtime WSOP broadcasters on ESPN, CBS Sports, and PokerGO. Their calls during the poker boom of the 2000s helped popularize the game.
Michael Mizrachi
Longtime poker pro with five WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles. Mizrachi is a three-time winner of the WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
Brian Rast
Poker pro with five WSOP bracelets including twice winning the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Also played high stakes cash games online during the poker boom of the 2000s.
Matt Savage
Has worked as tournament director for the WPT since its inception. Also worked as WSOP tournament director from 2002-04 and co-founded the Tournament Directors Association.
Isai Scheinberg
The founder of PokerStars, which refined the online poker game and offered a better software experience than other early operators. Stars eventually became the No. 1 online operator.
More Hall of Fame details
Arieh, Liebert, and Brian Rast are new finalists to the list this year. What criteria goes into the Hall of Fame? Here’s a look at what’s expected:
- The nominee must have played poker against acknowledged top competition.
- Must be a minimum of 40 years old at the time of nomination.
- The player must have competed for high stakes consistently well and stood the test of time.
- Non-players must have contributed to the overall growth and success of the game, with indelible positive and lasting results.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for July 10 in tandem with the Main Event final table. All living HOF members are invited to freeroll into the $1,979 Hall of Fame NLHE event. The buy-in is priced in honor of the Hall of Fame’s founding year.
The tournament is open to all players. Each Hall of Famer will have a bounty corresponding to the year they were inducted into poker’s most exclusive club.