The WSOP announced the eight-nominee 2026 Poker Hall of Fame shortlist, featuring Justin Bonomo, Shaun Deeb, and Isai Scheinberg. Updated voting rules allow up to six inductees, with the final announcement taking place at the WSOP Main Event final table.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has officially announced the shortlist for the 2026 Poker Hall of Fame following the conclusion of the public voting round. Eight prominent industry figures and players have been selected as finalists for this year’s honours.
The 2026 finalists are:
- Justin Bonomo
- Shaun Deeb
- Isaac Haxton
- Jason Koon
- Mike Matusow
- Isai Scheinberg
- Chris Moorman
- Scott Seiver
The remaining 33 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame will cast the final votes to determine the Class of 2026. Under the current structure, each voter is allocated four votes.
Any nominee who secures 22 or more votes will automatically earn induction. In the event that no candidate reaches this required threshold, the individual with the highest overall vote count will be inducted.
An overhaul of the final voting process for 2026 means that up to six nominees could be inducted this year. This procedural change could significantly ease the historical logjam of qualified candidates waiting for entry.
The list of finalists includes several high-profile players who became eligible for the first time this year after reaching the age of 40, including Shaun Deeb, Justin Bonomo, and Jason Koon.
All three players present strong arguments for first-ballot induction. Notably, Deeb enters the conversation fresh off capturing the 2025 WSOP Player of the Year title.
Many members of the poker community anticipate that the updated voting regulations could finally clear a path for PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg, who has experienced multiple near misses in previous years.
Industry insiders note that the prior restriction of a single annual inductee, paired with a substantial backlog of deserving candidates, made it exceptionally difficult for non-playing industry contributors to secure a spot.
Maria Ho previously expressed her belief that Scheinberg would be a "shoo-in" for induction this year. Prominent Hall of Fame members have also publicly advocated for Scheinberg's inclusion.
The 2026 shortlist represents a complete shift from the previous year's class. Nick Schulman and Michael Mizrachi were the individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Meanwhile, Matt Savage, Ted Forrest, Jeremy Ausmus, and Phil Galfond, who were all shortlisted last year, did not make the final cut for 2026.
The final results and the official induction of the Class of 2026 will be announced during the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table.
