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The 2025 Poker Hall of Fame finalists have been announced.
WPT Executive Tour Director, and TDA Founder Matt Savage (pictured below) is looking to finally be entered into the Poker Hall of Fame with his 10th nomination.
He's been called the "Susan Lucci of Poker". That's a reference to the "All My Children" star who received 19 Emmy nominations before finally winning in 1999 for her portrayal of Erika Kane.
"Thank you to the public voters for the honor of my 10th nomination, as always I appreciate the support of friends, family, and peers," Savage proclaimed on his Facebook page following the news of his nomination.
The Poker Hall of Fame is widely considered among the most highly regarded awards in all of gambling due to its nomination process, which offers fans the opportunity to vote online.
The top 10 nominees are reviewed by a panel of living Hall of Famers and select media, who vote based on a set of criteria. Only one inductee is permitted each year.
A specific set of criteria are also set that include minimum age of 40 and sustained success over time.
For contributors off the table—organizers, commentators, producers—their work must leave a positive, lasting mark. Those guidelines seemingly apply to PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg, whose total career live tournament winnings only amount to $374,191, but whose impact on the game can hardly be denied.
PokerStars was the platform where current ACR Poker ambassador Chris Moneymaker won a $39 satellite that led to his 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event entry. PokerStars would go on to become one of the largest online poker sites in the world. The company pioneered many features now standard in online poker including multi-tabling tools and online series.
Nick Schulman, Scott Seiver, and Phil Galfond all became eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame within the past year, and each is now a finalist for the 2025 Poker Hall of Fame.
The full list of nominees include:
- Jeremy Ausmus
- "Miami" John Cernuto
- Ted Forrest
- Phil Galfond
- Kathy Liebert
- Mike Matusow
- Matt Savage
- Isai Scheinberg
- Nick Schulman
- Scott Seiver
Finland pro 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.
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