Esfandiari Joins Nine Returning Candidates Among 2019 Poker Hall of Fame Finalists

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Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari is the only new name among the 10 finalists who will be considered for the Poker Hall of Fame this summer.

Poker Hall of Fame
Antonio Esfandiari is the long first-time nominee on the list of 10 finalists for the Poker Hall of Fame. (Image: Getty)

The World Series of Poker announced the list of nominees in a Sunday press release. Up to two of the 10 finalists could be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year.

Only Players Make the Cut in 2019

The voting will be done by the 30 living Hall of Famers, as well as a 21-person panel of poker media members. Each voter has a block of votes that can be distributed among any number of candidates, and in most years, the system produces two inductees.

This year’s slate of finalists is unusual in at least two ways. First, there’s the fact that everyone other than Esfandiari has been nominated before, which could suggest that there is a backlog of worthy candidates that could make it difficult for new blood to get on the ballot, at least for the time being.

In addition, all ten potential inductees are primarily known as poker players. The Poker Hall of Fame has induction guidelines for both players and other contributors to the game. Just last year, television producer Mori Eskandani – known for producing shows like Poker After Dark and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship – joined John Hennigan in the 2018 Hall of Fame class.

For players, the nominating criteria are relatively straightforward. They cannot be nominated until they are at least 40 years old. During their career, they must have played for high stakes, against acknowledged top competition, and played consistently well. They must have also stood the test of time as an elite player.

Meet the Poker Hall of Fame Finalists

All 10 nominees this year certainly meet those qualifications. Esfandiari is a worthy addition to the list: he has more than $27 million in career tournament earnings and has won three WSOP bracelets, including the first ever $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop tournament, earning more than $18.3 million.

The other nominees, in alphabetical order, are:

Chris Bjorin: The second-winningest Swedish poker player of all time, Bjorin has two WSOP bracelets and has cashed in the WSOP Main Event nine times.

David Chiu: A five-time WSOP bracelet winner, Chiu has earned more than $8 million in his tournament career.

Eli Elezra: A high-stakes cash game specialist, Elezra has also had plenty of tournament success, winning four WSOP bracelets in his career.

Chris Ferguson: The 2000 WSOP Main Event winner, Ferguson has more WSOP cashes than anyone other than Phil Hellmuth. However, his involvement with Full Tilt Poker has tarnished his legacy in the eyes of many poker players.

Ted Forrest: Known for his skills in a wide variety of poker formats, Forrest has six WSOP bracelets and has also been a successful cash game player.

Mike Matusow: A four-time WSOP bracelet winner, Matusow – known as “The Mouth” – has won more than $9.5 million in his live tournament career.

Chris Moneymaker: The amateur winner of the 2003 WSOP Main Event, Moneymaker is largely credited with starting the poker boom, giving him credentials both as a player and as an ambassador for the game.

David Oppenheim: A legendary cash game pro based out of Los Angeles, Oppenheim is well known for his mastery of mixed games.

Huck Seed: During his career, Seed has won in almost every cash game and tournament format available. That includes a win at the 1996 WSOP Main Event, the 2010 Tournament of Champions, and bracelets for Razz and Pot Limit Omaha.

Voters are required to return their Poker Hall of Fame ballots to the WSOP Governing Council by July 8. The inductees will be announced soon thereafter, with an induction ceremony taking place during the WSOP Main Event final table on July 15.



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