Poker Hall of Fame to Induct Only One Honoree in 2020

The World Series of Poker’s modified 2020 existence will have one more twist, according to WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, who recently acknowledged that this year the WSOP-owned Poker Hall of Fame will be inducting just a single honoree.

Stewart released the update on the PHOF’s plans amid a larger interview with another outlet regarding the hybrid online/live “$10,000 World Championship” No-Limit Hold’em Main Event set to begin later this month and conclude in late December with a heads-up bracelet showdown between domestic (United States) and international “bracket” tourney winners. However, the fate of the PHOF’s short-term plans had never been addressed by the WSOP or parent company Caesars Interactive Entertainment throughout months of other pandemic-related adjustments.

Stewart framed the change to a single honoree as a change already in the works.

“There will be a 2020 Poker Hall of Fame class, or said more accurately, a 2020 inductee,” he said. “We are going to return to the tradition of one inductee per year, voted in by their peers, but I’d like to present the full details on that in the near future.”

The last time the Poker Hall of Fame announced only a single inductee was over a decade ago. In 2009, the Ambassador of Poker, Mike Sexton, received that honor. Prior to that, Berry Johnston (in 2004) was the last solo inductee.

Though Stewart and the WSOP haven’t released many details, the likeliest scenario involves an induction between December 28-30, when the $10,000 World Championship concludes at the Rio in Las Vegas. This year’s inductee will be selected by a vote by all living members of the PHOF.

However, the late-changing plans likely mean that the Hall’s public-nomination process is no more, at least for 2020. WSOP.com’s online-nomination page appears in a disused or under-construction state at the present time. This infers that a list of finalists will be prepared by the Hall’s Executive Committee without any public input.

As for who is likely to be the 2020 inductee, the short-term format changes shift the balance in favor of Vegas-area pros who have received support in previous years. Ted Forrest, David Chiu, and Mike Matusow are among previous finalists likely to gain from the changes.

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