Patrik Antonius was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame this week, the “Flying Finn” joining such luminaries and legends as Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, Mike Sexton and Daniel Negreanu.
“It was a little bit unexpected for me at this young age,” Antonius said in his acceptance speech, though adding: “… I think I’m going to stick around for a long time – my plan is to keep playing.”
Antonius was among ten contenders for this year’s spot in the PHoF, which began in 1997 with the inaugural six members that included Johnny Moss and Nick “the Greek” Dandolos.
The 2024 version saw the “Flying Finn” up against incredible players such as Mike Matusow, Kathy Liebert and Barny Boatman, with Isai Scheinberg and Matt Savage also in the mix for their incredible contributions away from the table.
Fan nominations followed by peer voting saw Antonius edge out his rivals for the 63rd spot in the prestigious poker ‘clubhouse’.
The induction ceremony took place in the Paris Las Vegas Ballroom prior to the ceremonial “Shuffle Up and Deal” for Event #95: Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em.
“In the modern era of poker, few have been as bold and fearless as Patrik Antonius,” announced Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker.
He added: “A force both online and live, we’re thrilled to see Patrik’s high-stakes career acknowledged by legends who have added the first international player to the Poker Hall of Fame in a number of years.”
That was a reference to Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott, the English poker legend who was posthumously inducted in 2017, alongside Phil Ivey.
Surprisingly to many, Antonius has yet to bag a WSOP gold bracelet, but the former tennis pro has always been a stellar highstakes cash game player, live and online battles in poker’s noughties heyday bringing him fame and fortune.
The Finnish number one – and 37th in the all-time career earnings list – has $22,995,774 in tournament earnings to his name. Throw in another $17million+ from nosebleed games online and the Full Tilt Poker pro is clearly one of the most successful pros to grace the game.
That, he says, is down to a never-ending love for the game.
“I really think that’s key for my results, I’ve always had so much passion and love for the game,” stated Antonius in his acceptance speech. He also thanked family, fans, colleagues and all those who help to make poker what it is.
Congratulations to Patrik Antonius, the newest inductee into the 2024 Poker Hall of Fame! 🎉
Don't miss his heartfelt acceptance speech a quick look at Patrik's new Poker Hall of Fame trophy! 🏆 #WSOP2024 pic.twitter.com/Io2wlJAUQ2
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 14, 2024
Following the induction ceremony, the WSOP unveiled Antonius’ photo at the Hall of Fame Poker Room inside Horseshoe Las Vegas.
The room opened in July 2023 and features a first-of-its-kind Poker Hall of Fame exhibit acknowledging poker’s most legendary players with a Gallery of Champions, WSOP bracelets and rings.
Located adjacent to the resort’s front entrance near the Lobby Bar, the 4,900-square-foot poker room features 18 custom poker tables with upscale furniture and equipment to offer players an elevated gaming experience. LED TVs surround the room giving players access to sports viewing, current game lists, and tournament clocks.
The full list of Poker Hall of Fame inductees reads:
- Nick Dandolos 1979
- James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickock 1979
- Edmond Hoyle 1979
- Felton McCorquodale 1979
- Johnny Moss 1979
- Red Winn 1979
- Sid Wyman 1979
- T “Blondie” Forbes 1980
- Bill Boyd 1981
- Tom Abdo 1982
- Joe Bernstein 1983
- Murph Harrold 1984
- Red Hodges 1985
- Henry Green 1986
- Walter “Puggy” Pearson 1987
- Doyle Brunson 1988
- Jack “Treetop” Straus 1988
- Fred “Sarge” Ferris 1989
- Benny Binion 1990
- David “Chip” Reese 1991
- Thomas Austin Preston 1992
- Jack Keller 1993
- Julius Oral Popwell 1996
- Roger Moore 1997
- Stu “The Kid” Ungar 2001
- Lyle Berman 2002
- Johnny Chan 2002
- Bobby Baldwin 2003
- Berry Johnston 2004
- Jack Binion 2005
- Crandell Addington 2005
- Billy Baxter 2006
- T.J. Cloutier 2006
- Barbara Enright 2007
- Phil Hellmuth 2007
- Henry Orenstein 2008
- Duane “Dewey” Tomko 2008
- Mike Sexton 2009
- Dan Harrington 2010
- Erik Seidel 2010
- Barry Greenstein 2011
- Linda Johnson 2011
- Eric Drache 2012
- Brian “Sailor” Roberts 2012
- Tom McEvoy 2013
- Scotty Nguyen 2013
- Jack McClelland 2014
- Daniel Negreanu 2014
- Jennifer Harman 2015
- John Juanda 2015
- Todd Brunson 2016
- Carlos Mortensen 2016
- Phil Ivey 2017
- David “Devilfish” Ulliott 2017
- Mori Eskandani 2018
- John Hennigan 2018
- Chris Moneymaker 2019
- David Oppenheim 2019
- Huck Seed 2020
- Eli Elezra 2021
- Layne Flack 2022
- Brian Rast 2023
- Patrik Antonius 2024
For more information on the Poker Hall of Fame, visit http://www.wsop.com/pokerhalloffame/.
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