Whose name will be immortalised in 2026? The prime contenders for the Poker Hall of Fame

Getting into the Poker Hall of Fame is the ultimate recognition of a player's merits before the poker community and a seal of immortality in the history of card games. The 2026 election promises to be one of the most interesting of the past decade. An entire generation of legends from the poker boom era is coming up, and competition for the coveted spots is fierce.

A bit about the new voting rules

Ahead of 2026, the World Series of Poker organisers have once again drastically changed the selection procedure. The mandatory criteria remain unchanged: respect from peers, sustained dominance in high-stakes games, an impressive legacy, influence on the industry, and the main rule — the nominee must have turned a full 40 years old. 

However, the voting system has undergone important changes. Whereas in recent years only one new poker player was elected, now each of the 33 Hall of Fame members will receive four votes. To make it into the Hall, a candidate from the final eight nominees will need to secure 22 votes. Thanks to this approach, the club of greats will be able to add several players every year — theoretically up to six people — allowing timely recognition of those who have truly stood the test of time and high stakes.

The main contenders for induction into the Hall of Fame

Shaun Deeb

Photo: Jess Beck

In 2026, Shaun turned 40, allowing him to enter the list of candidates in accordance with Hall of Fame regulations. The American has 9 WSOP gold bracelets and two World Series "Player of the Year" titles (2018, 2025). His reputation as a versatile player who consistently delivers strong results in both no-limit hold'em and limit mixed games makes his influence on modern poker indisputable.

Justin Bonomo

Photo: Jamie Thonson

Justin Bonomo entered the ranks of the 2026 nominees with the status of a three-time WSOP gold bracelet holder. The key stage of his career was 2018, during which the American set a record by earning around 25 million dollars in a single year. The key result of this period was his win in the charity high roller tournament The Big One for One Drop with a one-million-dollar buy-in, which brought the poker player a win of $10,000,000. This victory allowed Bonomo to achieve a historic event — displacing Daniel Negreanu from first place on the world All-Time Money List, a position Negreanu had held for almost a decade. At the time of his 2026 nomination, Justin Bonomo holds fourth place on the list of the wealthiest players, with total winnings of more than $65.6 million. 

Isaac Haxton 

Photo: Omar Sader

Isaac Haxton made the shortlist of 2026 candidates for the first time. At the time of his inclusion on the list, the American ranks seventh in the world All-Time Money List rankings, with total tournament winnings of more than $65.3 million. In 2023, he won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em event, and in September 2025 he claimed his debut Triton Poker series title in the $100,000 PLO Main Event, earning $2,789,000. Haxton's resume also includes two wins in closed Super High Roller Bowl tournaments with a $300,000 buy-in, including his best career result of $3.67 million for first place in 2018.

Jason Koon

Photo: Manuel Kovsca
Jason Koon, who has reached the age of 40, has also made the shortlist of nominees for the first time. Koon's résumé includes one WSOP gold bracelet, won in 2021 in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship, and his best career result is a payout of $3.57 million for winning the Triton Poker series Main Event in 2018. Koon holds an industry record as a ten-time winner of Triton Poker tournaments, and he also serves as the head of the Security Council, which regulates the integrity of poker game processes.

Chris Moorman

Photo: Danny Maxwell

Moorman holds the status of the most successful player in the history of online poker, with total winnings of more than $24.3 million. The poker player's résumé includes two WSOP gold bracelets, one WPT series champion title, and a record — 30 "Triple Crown" awards for online tournament wins. In addition to his playing achievements, Moorman has contributed to the industry's theoretical foundation as the author of specialised books that have achieved bestseller status.

Scott Seiver

Photo: Luther Redd

Scott Seiver is nominated to the Hall of Fame for the second year running. The main factor that has strengthened his position as one of the favourites in the current vote was his performance at the WSOP 2024 summer series. That year, Seiver won three gold bracelets in a single season and became WSOP Player of the Year. As of his 2026 nomination, Seiver's overall record includes seven WSOP bracelets, and his total live tournament winnings exceed $26 million. Seiver has a reputation as a regular participant in private cash games at the highest stakes in Las Vegas.  

Mike Matusow

Photo: PokerNews

Mike Matusow, nicknamed "The Mouth", is the absolute record holder for the number of nominations: in 2026 he has made the final shortlist for the 12th time. Matusow's career is inseparably tied to the "poker boom" era of the early 2000s, when he became one of the main media faces of televised poker broadcasts. The American's résumé includes four WSOP gold bracelets and two Main Event final table appearances, in 2001 and 2005. His total tournament winnings exceed $10 million, and a key feature of his background remains his high level of performance in both tournament poker and high-stakes cash games for more than 25 years.

Isai Scheinberg 

Photo: Austin Currington

Canadian entrepreneur of Israeli origin Isai Scheinberg is the only representative of the industry figures category on the 2026 final list. The founder of PokerStars, the largest poker room in history, is nominated to the Hall of Fame for the 7th time. Scheinberg made a decisive contribution to the development of the global online poker ecosystem in the 2000s. His candidacy has been openly lobbied for many years by players such as Daniel Negreanu and Chris Moneymaker. The professional community considers his greatest merit to be his actions after the events of "Black Friday" in 2011, when Scheinberg fully ensured the safekeeping and payout of hundreds of millions of dollars from players' accounts.

What do the analysts say?

According to specialist analysts, Shaun Deeb is given the highest chance of making the Hall of Fame in 2026 on his first attempt — conditional odds on his induction hover around 1.40–1.55. Analysts believe that his media presence, his love for the WSOP series, and his versatility make him an ideal candidate in the eyes of the jury.

Next comes Justin Bonomo with conditional market odds of around 2.80. A strong argument in his favour is his financial success, though Bonomo's rare participation in limit mixed-game disciplines traditionally reduces his support among the jury's more conservative wing. 

New rules allow voters to support Isai Scheinberg with "additional" points without infringing on the interests of active players. The functionary's chances of receiving his well-deserved status this year are rated as the highest in the history of his nominations.

Photo: Hayley Hochstetler

Whichever of the nominees is inducted into the Hall of Fame following the 2026 vote, it will be a person who has forever changed the face of modern poker. All that remains for us is to follow the outcome of this historic race.