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World Series of Poker 2022 Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

Following a two-week nomination period, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) has announced the highly anticipated list of 10 Poker Hall of Fame nominees. Inducting one new member annually, the 10 nominees will be considered by 32 living members who will allocate a ballot of 10 total points to determine the 2022 Hall-of-Famer. Want to know who the finalists are? Keep reading.

Here are the World Series of Poker 2022 Hall of Fame Finalists

1. Josh Arieh

Josh Arieh was the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year. He has made it to the Hall of Fame finalist for the first time. The 47-year-old has four WSOP bracelets to his credit, the first one being in 1999.  So far, he has already cashed seven times at the ongoing WSOP 2022 edition.  Arieh has a total of 73 cashes at the WSOP. Ever since he won his first bracelet, he has cashed every year except in 2003. Arieh also has over $10 million in tournament winnings.

2. Layne Flack

It’s been a year since Flack passed away at the age of 52. He has made it to the finalists list for the third consecutive time this year. Additionally, he is also known as ‘Back-to-Back Flack’ for winning six WSOP bracelets in a row. He has nearly $2.9 million in WSOP earnings via his 74 cashes.

3. Bertrand Grospellier (‘ElkY’)

Bertrand Grospellier was first nominated in the Poker Hall of Fame nominee list last year at the age of 40 years. He is considered as one of the best online and live event players across the globe. With 67 WSOP cashes worth $4.3 million he has two bracelets under his belt. Additionally, he has $14 million in lifetime tournament winnings.

4. Kathy Liebert

Liebert is the only female to be nominated this year. She started her poker career as a low-stakes prop player in a Colorado cardroom back in 1991. Although the 54-year-old pro has just one bracelet under her belt, she has 116 WSOP cashes that stand at $1.4 million, along with a lifetime tournament winning of $6.4 million. During the first season of the World Poker Tour (WPT) in 2022, she was the first woman player to travel and play consistently. To date, she has made it to six WPT final tables along with cashing 26 times for nearly $2 million.

5. Mike Matusow

Mike Matusow is a WSOP mainstay after his first cash from his second finish at $2,000 PLO Hi-Lo event in 1997. The 54-year old, fondly known as ‘The Mouth’ has four bracelets and 98 cashes for $4.5 million. This is his third time getting nominated in the Poker Hall of Fame list.

6. Lon McEachern and Norman Chad

This is the only couple to be nominated in this years Poker Hall of Fame nominees list. They are known to be the faces and voices of WSOP since 2003. The commentators, who play a little poker, had also made it to the list last year. Chad ran deep in WSOp 2022’s $1,500 Dealer’s Choice event, where he finished 13th. He had also made it to a final table in 2012.

7. Michael Mizrachi

This is his second appearance on the shortlist this year. The 41-year-old holds the record of shipping the $50K Poker Players Championship event thrice in 2010, 2012, and 2018. With close to $10 million in WSOP cash via 81 cashes, Mizrachi has five bracelets to flaunt. He also has more than $17 million in lifetime tournament cashes. Mizrachi, along with his brother, Robert, also co-authored “Getting Started with HORSE.”

8. Brian Rast

Rast was one of the few players to be shortlisted in the same year of eligibility in 2018. The 40-year-old has five WSOP gold bracelets to his credit. Ever since 2005, Rast has cashed 55 times at the WSOP which translates to $6.7 million. His $22.7 million in lifetime poker tournament winnings puts him in the 27th spot on Hendon Mob’s all-time money list.

9. Matt Savage

Savage has already been nominated seven times before and even came close by finishing second in votes in 2022. He is the Executive Director of the World Poker Tour (WPT) and is also the founder of the Tournament Directors Association. He is known as one of the most knowledgeable experts when it comes to the rules of poker. He also served as a Tournament Director at the WSOP between 2002-04.

10. Isai Scheinberg 

Scheinberg, who is the founder of PokerStars,  is considered as one of the father’s of the multi-billion online poker industry across the world. The 75-year-old has helped many members of the Hall of Fame become rich, and this is his third nomination. He is also known for controversies like his legal woes with the United States government after Black Friday. His family sold PokerStars in 2014 for $4.9 billion. 

There are three new finalists in the 2022 class including four-time WSOP bracelet winner, Josh Arieh, and Las Vegas residents Kathy Liebert and Brian Rast.

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The induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, 10th July 2022 in tandem with the final table of the Main Event at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas. All living Poker Hall of Fame members are invited to freeroll into the $1,979 No-Limit Hold’em tournament, with the buy-in priced in honor of the Hall of Fame’s founding year. This event will be open to all players. Each participating Hall of Famer will have a bounty corresponding to the year they were inducted into poker’s most exclusive club. The 2022 inductee will be announced during the event.

About The Poker Hall of Fame:

The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. Though the Hall of Fame is virtual in nature, its membership includes poker’s most influential players and other important contributors to the game. There are now 32 living members, and 59 members have been bestowed the honor of Poker Hall of Famer.  The Poker Hall of Fame traditionally elects one or two members annually. The enshrinement ceremony is now held in concert with the final table of the Main Event of the WSOP, held in Las Vegas. 

The WSOP 2022 is taking place on The Las Vegas Strip for the first time ever at Bally’s, the future Horseshoe, and Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. For more details on each of the nominees, stay tuned!

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