WSOP announces Hall of Fame finalists

(PRESS RELEASE) -- With the 52nd annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) in full swing, today the list of 10 nominees into the Poker Hall of Fame were announced. Traditionally electing one new member annually, the finalists will be considered by 32 living members who will cast votes to determine this year’s Hall-of-Famer. The 2021 finalists are as follows:

• Eli Elezra
• Antonio Esfandiari
• Chris Ferguson
• Layne Flack
• Ted Forrest
• Bertrand ”ElkY” Grospellier
• Mike Matusow
• Michael Mizrachi
• Matt Savage
• Isai Scheinberg

There are three new finalists in the 2021 class including six-time WSOP bracelet winner, Layne Flack, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and five-time champion legend, Michael Mizrachi.

The Poker Hall of Fame criteria remain the same as previous years:

• A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
• Be a minimum of 40-years-old at time of nomination
• Played for highstakes
• 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

The enshrinement ceremony is now held on Wednesday, Nov. 17 in concert with the final table of the Main Event and the Hall of Fame Bounty tournament at Rio Hotel & Casino in 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 2021 inductee will be announced during the event.

The entire list of 59 Poker Hall of Fame members includes: