Poker Hall Of Fame

The World Series of Poker announced Wednesday that four-time bracelet winner Huck Seed is the newest member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

• Poker Hall Of Fame Tournament
• Poker Hall Of Fame Inductee Phil

The 1996 WSOP main event champion racked up nearly $7.65 million in live tournament earnings over the course of his career, which dates back to 1990. Aside from his $1 million score in the main event, the Santa Clara native earned bracelets in the 1994 $2,500 pot-limit Omaha, the 2000 $1,500 razz and the 2003 $5,000 razz.

The Poker Hall of Fame was an initiative taken by Benny Binion in 1979. Over the years many names have been added to this hall of fame and counting. The only 2020 inductee in the Poker Hall of Fame is the most prevalent name in the poker field. It is none other than the remarkable Huckleberry Seed. The Poker Hall of Fame, established in 1979, was acquired by Caesars 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. On December 16, Caesars Entertainment will announce the finalists for the 2020 Poker Hall of Fame class based on the fan votes. From there, a 32-member panel will vote on the winner. The inductee will then be announced December 30 in Las Vegas during the final day of the 2020 WSOP Main Event.

The Hall of Fame also will honor the 2020 inductees along with its centennial class of the NFL’s 100-year anniversary. Staff reporter Vincent Bonsignore contributed to this report.

Along with his four bracelets, the former Caltech College basketball standout took down the NBC National Heads-Up Championship in 2009 for $500,000.

While Seed was a poker standout, among the high-stakes community, he might even be more renowned for his legendary prop bets away from the table. A couple of the more noteworthy bets include Seed losing a five-figure sum to Phil Hellmuth when he claimed he could float in the ocean for 24 hours and winning $10,000 from Howard Lederer when he said he could learn to do a standing backflip in two days.

In one of his more recent prop bets, he grappled with former poker pro and MMA fighter Terrence Chan during a break of the 2015 WSOP. In the video of the fight, three-time bracelet winner Greg Mueller can be heard claiming that the match was for $50,000. Security eventually broke up the fight and no money was exchanged.

The 31 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame were eligible to cast up to 10 votes across the slate of finalists. With one member deciding to abstain from voting, the 51-year-old Santa Clara native netted 76 of a possible 300 votes, earning this year’s honor.

“Hearing the news that I am being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year brought back memories of my early poker days, walking into the Binion’s Horseshoe, about to start a poker session, admiring all the Poker Hall of Famers on the wall,” said Seed. “It feels good to be included with all the poker legends that I once idolized and competed against over the years. Thank you, everyone.”

Earlier this month, fellow Hall of Famer Erik Seidel tweeted that Seed was his pick for this year, citing Seed’s success in high-stakes cash games, his tournament results and his reputation in the community.

Reasons Huck is my top HOF pick:
1-1st player to break Chip & Doyle’s 30 year hegemony in cash games
2-Had a great tournament record including winning WSOP main
3-Honorable, well liked
4-Was inspiration for main character in the movie Lucky You
5- Dylan wrote Huck’s Song

— Erik Seidel (@Erik_Seidel) December 18, 2020

A couple people asking about 1, which is the most critical factor. Chip & Doyle dominated cash games & broke many players throughout the years. Huck came on the scene & for a period took on all comers & crushed souls on a daily basis, he was the OG Ivey

— Erik Seidel (@Erik_Seidel) December 18, 2020

Veteran tournament director Matt Savage finished second in the voting with 51. Here is the final vote count:

• Huckleberry Seed – 76 votes
• Matt Savage – 51 votes
• Isai Scheinberg – 45 votes
• Eli Elezra – 30 votes
• Antonio Esfandiari – 23 votes
• Lon McEachern and Norman Chad – 20 votes
• Ted Forrest – 20 votes
• Mike Matusow – 17 votes
• Patrik Antonius – 15 votes
• Chris Ferguson – 3 votes

In 2019, Chris Moneymaker and David Oppenheim were voted in as the 57th and 58th member of the group. Seed becomes the 59th.

The criteria for being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame are as follows:

• A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
• Be a minimum of 40 years old at the time of nomination
• Played for high stakes
• Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers
• Stood the test of time
• Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results

Here is a look at everyone inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame since it was founded in 1979:

The Poker Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that 1996 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Huck Seed is the newest inductee. The honor recognizes a card-playing career dating back to the late 1980s.

Seed received the greatest number of votes from living Hall of Fame members. That totaled 76votes with tournament director Matt Savage getting the second-largest total at 51.

“Hearing the news that I am being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this year brought back memories of my early poker days, walking into the Binion’s Horseshoe, about to start a poker session, admiring all the Poker Hall of Famers on the wall,” Seed said in a news release.

“It feels good to be included with all the poker legends that I once idolized and competed against over the years. Thank you everyone.”

A long career at the poker table

Originally from Corvallis,Montana, the 6-foot, 7-inch Seed was a star basketball player in high school. He earned all-state honors and went on to study electrical engineering and play basketball at the California Institute of Technology.

However, Seed left college behind in 1989 to play poker full time. Along with being a regular high stakes cash game player for several decades, Seed has several notable tournament wins. Along with the Main Event, Seed has three other WSOP bracelets.

In 2009, he won the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship for $500,000. Winning the WSOP Tournament of Champions followed a year later for another $500,000. Seed currently boasts live tournament winnings of $7.7 million.

Along with prowess at the poker table, Seed’s prop betting antics are also well known. His wagers included learning to do a standing backflip within six months and not shaving for an entire year.

Reaction to Seed’s Hall of Fame induction

Many poker players applauded Seed’s election to the hall after such a long career in the game. WSOP/ESPN commentator Lon McEachern was also a nominee with broadcast partner Norman Chad. He congratulated Seed on a worthy career for the honor.

Huck Seed is such an amazingly worthy new member of the Poker Hall of Fame. His accomplishments are more than 'Hall-worthy' and the stories of him off the felt would have lasted forever even if he were not voted in. I am very happy for him.

— Lon McEachern (@lonmceachern) December 31, 2020

Poker legends Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth expressed their congratulations on Twitter as well. Daniel Negreanu, who is locked in a heads-up battle with Doug Polk, also offered some words about Seed’s induction.

Was happy to see @HuckleberrySeed finally get the call for the Poker Hall of Fame, his induction was long overdue.

He was a hero of mine growing up in Vegas trying to make it. We used to go for drinks then play $200-$400 Stud 8 heads up for hours.

He won.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 30, 2020

The Hall of Fame added only a single member this year as done from 1980 to 2004. Hall member Linda Johnson congratulated Seed, but wished the process still inducted more than one person.

“Congratulations to Huck Seed,” she noted. “I sure wish they had inducted two people this year. Matt Savage also deserves to be in.”

Inside the Hall of Fame voting

Among the qualifications for the Hall of Fame include playing against top competition for high stakes and standing the test of time. Non-players must have contributed to the growth and success of the game with “positive and lasting results.”

Several big names were among this year’s nominees – from Antonio Esfandiari and Mike Matusow to Eli Elezra and Ted Forrest. PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg was also included for the first time.

Scheinberg finished third in the voting with a tally of 45 and Elezra behind him with 30. The hall was acquired by Caesars Entertainment in 2004 when the company bought the WSOP. This was the first year that the Hall of Fame has released official voting results.

All 31 living Hall of Fame members could cast up to 10 votes across the slate of finalists. In total, members cast 30 ballots with one abstention. The hall plans an induction ceremony sometime later in 2021. Here’s a look at the final voting:

• Huckleberry Seed – 76 Votes
• Matt Savage – 51 Votes
• Isai Scheinberg – 45 Votes
• Eli Elezra – 30 Votes
• Antonio Esfandiari – 23 Votes
• Lon McEachern and Norman Chad – 20 Votes
• Ted Forrest – 20 Votes
• Mike Matusow – 17 Votes
• Patrik Antonius – 15 Votes
• Chris Ferguson – 3 Votes

* Lead image courtesy WSOP

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* Legends of Poker photo courtesy WPT

Poker Hall Of Fame Inductee Phil