Isai Scheinberg on poker HOF ballot for first time
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2020/...nees-38431.htm
The poker HOF nominees are:
New: Lon McEachern, Norman Chad, Isai Scheinberg, Patrik Antonius.
Old: Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Chris Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow, Huck Seed, Matt Savage.
Savage, Scheinberg, McEachern, and Chad are not being nominated as players, but rather for what they did for the poker community.
I have softened on Isai over the years. While I disagree with the way pre-Amaya Pokerstars handled some things, I have also learned that Isai truly loved poker, gave up other possible profit avenues in order to keep the poker product on Stars pure, and treated his employees extremely well. Isai also ran the company far better and far more ethically than the new owners, Amaya. Pokerstars had a tremendous impact on the game, and Isai does belong in the HOF.
I like Norman Chad, but I don't think he's a HOFer. He is just well known. Same with McEachern, who also deserves some negative points for his weird support of Stones through all the controversy.
I also like Savage personally, and I think he does a great job as tournament director. Does he belong in the HOF? I'm not sure.
Regarding the players:
Mike Matusow: Yes
Eli Elezra: No. There's even some question if he's an overall winner in the game.
Chris Ferguson: Normally I would say yes, but he caused irreparable harm to poker through his actions with Full Tilt, and has yet to explain himself.
Antonio Esfandiari: Yes
Huck Seed: Maybe. The one strike against him is that he didn't stand the test of time, and basically was irrelevant after the 2000s were over. He was a huge force in the '90s and '00s though.
Ted Forrest: Despite his financial problems over the last decade or so (which even plagued greats like Stuey Ungar), I'd say yes.
