Seiver, Galfond, Schulman Newcomers Among Poker Hall of Fame Finalists

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Jun 17, 2025 2 min read

Nick Schulman, Scott Seiver, and Phil Galfond all became eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame within the past year, and they are three of the 10 finalists hoping to be inducted this summer.

Only one player gets in poker's most exclusive club each year. Patrik Antonius was last year's selection.

"This has really been one of the nicest things for me. I've always been a student of the game and always hoped that poker continues to get bigger and better. And just look at where we are now. It looks like poker has never been as good as it is now — we're breaking records all over the world," Antonius said during a Hall of Fame ceremony.

Patrik Antonius Inducted into the Poker HOF

Newcomer or a Perennial Nominee?

The fans recently nominated the player or industry personnel they feel deserves to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year, and the top 10 vote-getters made it to the final round. Those individuals, listed below, are now at the mercy of the living HOF members who will cast a vote.

• Jeremy Ausmus
• "Miami" John Cernuto
• Ted Forrest
• Phil Galfond
• Kathy Liebert
• Mike Matusow
• Matt Savage
• Isai Scheinberg
• Nick Schulman
• Scott Seiver

The voters will have the tough decision of choosing between the three aforementioned newly eligible nominees, or the seven others who've been nominated at least once in the past. Matt Savage, Executive Tour Director for the World Poker Tour (WPT), made the list of finalists for the 10th time.

Kathy Liebert, a WSOP bracelet winner and trailblazer among women in poker, is a repeat finalist, as is Mike Matusow, one of the top poker players during the poker boom era. Six-time bracelet winner Ted Forrest made the list again, and Poker Hall of Famer John Hennigan made it clear earlier this year that Forrest will get his vote.

PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg and six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus are becoming popular annual picks for the Hall of Fame, and the late "Miami" John Cernuto could get in five months after he passed away.

The three newcomers also have strong resumes. Schulman, one of the most popular commentators in the game, won his seventh bracelet on Sunday. Several poker legends, including Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu, have already come out to say Schulman should be this year's inductee.

Seiver, last year's WSOP Player of the Year, has been one of the most respected high-stakes cash game players in the world for years. Galfond, once known as "OMGClayAiken" on Full Tilt Poker, is widely considered the greatest pot-limit Omaha player of all time.

It's now up to the Hall of Fame voters to make the difficult decision among this group of 10 deserving candidates. The announcement will be made July 11 at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) just before the start of Event #92: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty.

Why the Poker Hall of Fame Vote Shouldn't Be Seiver vs. Schulman this Summer

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