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Jason Koon is the Lone 2026 WSOP Hall of Fame Inductee

The World Series of Poker Hall of Fame members chose just one nominee to join their ranks this year: Jason Koon. A two-time bracelet winner, Koon is currently third on the all-time poker winnings list with over $77 million in live earnings. It was Koon’s first year on the WSOP Hall of Fame ballot.

Koon Inducted into WSOP Hall of Fame

Koon’s 20-year poker career started with online poker sites in 2006 when he was in college. He expanded his play to include live games in 2008. In just five short years, Koon racked up over $2 million in earnings.

The success continued throughout Koon’s career, and his winnings started stacking up. In 2017, Koon began playing in super high roller events and quickly began climbing the all-time winnings list.

Koon turned 40 in August 2025, just missing the nomination cutoff. This year was his first time being Hall of Fame eligible, and he got in on his first ballot.

Koon’s Career Highlights

Unsurprisingly, Koon’s 20-year Hall of Fame career is full of memorable moments. Some of his biggest career highlights include:

• 2 WSOP bracelets
• $77+ million in career earnings
• Biggest live cash: $3.5 million
• 2nd in US all-time poker cash list

Koon is not done competing, either. He recently competed in three events at the 2026 WSOP, including finishing fifth in the $250,000 No Limit Hold’em Super High Roller (8-Handed) bracelet event. 

Who Were the Other Nominees?

Koon’s induction was well-deserved, but he was not the only player with Hall of Fame aspirations this year. He was one of eight nominees for the WSOP HoF in 2026. The finalists who failed to make the cut for the WSOP this year include:

• Shaun Deeb
• Scott Seiver
• Isaac Haxton
• Justin Bonomo
• Mike Matusow
• Chris Moorman
• Isai Scheinberg

Koon received 23 out of a possible 33 votes for the Hall. Scott Seiver (19) and Isai Scheinberg (17) had the second- and third-most votes, respectively.

How Does WSOP HoF Voting Work?

Players must be at least 40 years old to be nominated to the WSOP Hall of Fame. Then, fans vote on who should be the finalists, with the top eight vote-getters each year making the cut.

After the finalists are decided, the current HoF members each have up to votes to cast for that year’s nominees. Finalists need at least a two-thirds majority of votes to be an automatic induction. If no player receives enough votes, then the nominee with the most votes will be inducted.

A maximum of six players can join the WSOP Hall of Fame each year. However, in 2026, the 33 voters chose just one: Jason Koon. Koon’s 23 of 33 votes were just enough to meet the two-thirds threshold and make him an automatic inductee.