There are currently 66 members in the Poker Hall of Fame following the induction of Jason Koon in 2026. In 2026, the induction process for the Poker Hall of Fame was overhauled as a new voting system could allow for as many of six of the nominees inducted in a single year.
Once the public vote determined the eight nominees, the Poker Hall of Fame’s living members would each have four votes with the ability to cast one vote for up to four different nominees. Any nominee who received 22 or more votes will be automatically inducted. If no nominee reached 22 votes, then the nominee with the highest number of votes will be inducted.
Poker players who’s careers were launched in the poker boom of the early 2000s are now aging into Poker Hall of Fame eligibility. Not only do these players satisfy the Poker Hall of Fame eligibility criteria, they smash right through it with a list of accolades as long as the Las Vegas Strip.
One of the main criteria for Poker Hall of Fame nomination is, “Must be at least 40 years old at the time of nomination.” In 2026, nominations opened on June 11, while in 2025, nominations opened on June 6, in 2024, nominations opened on June 4, in 2023, nominations opened on June 5, and in 2022, nominations opened on June 6.
Taking in consideration early June 1987 birthdays will be heavily dependent on when the Poker Hall of Fame decides to open nominations. Below is a list of poker players and non-players who are now eligible for nomination in 2027:
Players who were eligible for Poker Hall of Fame nomination in 2027 included:
- Tom Dwan
- Jason Mercier
- Bryn Kenney
- Darren Elias
- Andrew Robl
- Kristen Foxen
- Nick Petrangelo
- Ben Tollerene
- Chance Kornuth
- Jared Bleznick
- Alex Livingston
- David Peters
- Sam Trickett
- Alan Keating
- Joseph Cheong
- Nikki Limo
- Ryan Leng
- Elio Fox
- Michael Rodrigues
- Francis Anderson
The heavy favorites among the new players who are eligible for nomination in 2027 are Bryn Kenney, Kristen Foxen, and Andrew Robl. Kenney has amassed more than $90 million in lifetime tournament earnings and has a plethora of high roller titles alongside a 2014 WSOP bracelet an Aussie Millions victory in 2019. Foxen is one of the most-feared players on the high roller circuit and has won six WSOP bracelets in her career. Robl doesn’t have the tournament resume like many others on the list, but he is regarded as one of the best cash game players in the world who frequently is involved in the biggest televised poker hands of all time.
Looking Towards the Future Poker Hall of Fame
Even though only one player (Jason Koon) was inducted in 2026 under the new voting system, the opportunity for more people to be inducted is now set up in place. As the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame grows year-on-year, the 22-vote threshold will become easier to hit for the many eligible, but overlooked players.
Players who will always be favorites to be part of the eight-player nominee list that have been nominated previously include Shaun Deeb, Antonio Esfandiari, Ben Lamb, Josh Arieh, Jeremy Ausmus, Scott Seiver, Mike Matusow, Ted Forrest, Isai Scheinberg, and many more.
Players that will be eligible for Poker Hall of Fame nomination in 2028 include:
- Daniel Weinman
- Joe Cada
- Greg Merson
- Martin Jacobson
- Espen Jorstad
- Jonathan Duhamel
- Bryce Yockey
- Phillip Hui
- Joseph Serock
- Brad Owen
- Calvin Anderson
- Andrew Lichtenberger
- Igor Kurganov
- Joey Weissman
- Matthew Ashton (birthday is June 8)
