Patrik Antonius, one of the most popular and exciting professional poker players, is the latest inductee to the Poker Hall of Fame. Antonius’ induction ceremony was conducted inside the Paris Ballroom at Paris Las Vegas before letting him do the honors of doing the ceremonial “Shuffle Up and Deal” for Event #95: Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em. After this, the WSOP unveiled his photo at the Hall of Fame Poker Room exhibit in the Horseshoe Las Vegas casino.
Who is Patrik Antonius?
Born in Helsinki, Finland in 1980, Antonius is widely considered as one of the most successful European poker players. Growing up in a middle class family, Antonius was a talented tennis player. During his teenage years, he started playing poker with his teammates at the tennis club, and won his first tournament when he was 18 years old. In 2003, he finished fourth place with a respectable $3,480 purse in his first Pot Limit hold’em event.
Two years later, in 2005, Antonius became the European Poker Tour Baden champion for $343,365, a month after finishing third for $145,067 at EPT Barcelona. Those two cashes were the first of 34 six-figure cashes he bagged in the nearly 20 years he’s been at it.
His career earnings of $22,995,774 lands him at 36th all-time, and his most recent winning purse of $1,978,000 cash game pot in 2023 is the largest ever on a U.S. livestream broadcast. The only prize Anotnius hasn’t won yet is nabbing his first WSOP Bracelet.
“In the modern era of poker, few have been as bold and fearless as Patrik Antonius,” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker. “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.”
In his congratulatory speech, Antonius noted that he hopes that poker continues to become bigger and better around the world. He also noted that he also noted that he is still relatively young, and he intends to compete for many years to come,
“It was unexpected at this young age, but I’m still young. The last 24-25 years with poker went pretty fast. I think I’m going to stick around for a long time. That’s my plan — to keep playing the highest tournaments and cash games. I’ve always had so much passion and love for the game.”
What is the Poker Hall of Fame?
Established in 1979, the Poker Hall of Fame was acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment along with the World Series of Poker in 2004. The Poker Hall of Fame includes notable players and personalities that have made positive contributions to the poker industry. The WSOP traditionally elects one or two members annually, and the enshrinement ceremony is held in concert with the Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em event at the WSOP in Las Vegas.
Antonius’ induction makes him the 63rd member of the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame, joining this list of poker legends that spans from the late 70s to present.
