Several players may be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026

Several players may be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026

In the past few years, only one new poker player was inducted into the Hall of Fame each year. Under the existing system, current Hall members voted for a single candidate from a shortlist drawn up based on public nominations. However, on the WSOP Countdown show it was announced that in 2026 this approach will change.

Now each of the 33 Hall of Fame members will be able to cast four votes. If any of the eight nominees reaches 22 votes, they will be inducted. With a perfectly even distribution of votes, the induction of six new members is possible, but that is an extremely unlikely scenario. Nevertheless, there's a strong chance that several players will join the Hall of Fame this year.

At the same time, the mandatory criteria for candidates remain unchanged:
🟡 Age 40 or older;
🟣 Respect from peers;
🟡 Experience in high-stakes games;
🟣 Consistent superiority over opponents;
🟡 A legacy that has stood the test of time;
🟣 Influence on the development of poker.

PokerGO director Tim Duckworth compiled a list of players who meet these requirements. It includes Shaun Deeb, Jason Koon, John Racener, Isaac Haxton, Justin Bonomo, Timothy Adams, Christoph Vogelsang and Joey Ingram.

Note that from 2005 to 2019, two players were generally inducted as new Hall of Fame members. Starting in 2020, only one poker player was included in the honorary list. Last year, the rule was broken to induct Michael Mizrachi into the Hall of Fame right after his victory in the WSOP Main Event.