The list of Poker Hall of Fame nominees for 2020 induction has been released.
After an open-nomination process was held to identify worthy nominees, a group of 11 individuals is up for consideration, two of those being the pair of World Series of Poker (WSOP) commentators Lon McEachern and Norman Chad. Additionally, many poker players and fans will be happy to see PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg gracing the ballot for the very first time. Another first-time nominee is high-stakes player Patrik Antonius.
Former nominees returning to the ballot include players Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow, and Huck Seed, as well as famed tournament director Matt Savage in the builder category.
The list will now be sent to the 31 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
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