Patrik Antonius, one of Finland's best players, has been admitted to the Poker Hall of Fame. Poker icons like Ted Forrest, Barny Boatman, and Mike "The Mouth" Matusow—all of whom were also nominated this year—were no match for Antonius as he emerged victorious in 2024.

Hendon Mob database states that Antonius has won about $23 million in live tournament gross. However, it is undeniable that the majority of his earnings have come from less immediately quantifiable online cash games.

“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.”

Fresh Wave

Antonius belonged to the initial group of gamers on the internet who asked to be considered seriously.

In 2003, Chris Moneymaker qualified via an online satellite and went on to win the World Series. Online qualifiers flooded the fields in subsequent rounds, hoping to duplicate Moneymaker's achievement.

The mid-2000s poker boom was sparked by this fresh infusion of liquidity, which drove prize pools to absurd heights and drew additional players.

Nonetheless, the term "online player" was still frowned upon by the seasoned live pros, who correctly perceived Moneymaker as a random event and incorrectly believed that online players were fads.

In addition to becoming well-known, online players like Antonius, Noah Boeken, Andrew Robl, David Benefield, Phil Galfond, Tom Dwan, and others started altering the fundamental rules of the live game by frequently three- and four-betting.

Before an accident ended his career, Antonius was a talented tennis player. He was undoubtedly the best of the bunch, and in the late 2000s, his brutal online cash-game matches against players like Phil Ivey, Dwan, Viktor "Isildur" Blom, and Ilari "Ziigmund" Sahamies became legendary.

The winner of the biggest online pot ever is still Antonius. In 2009, he defeated Blom in a hand that brought in $1,356,947.

Life Begins at Forty

The fact that this new generation of youthful players is already approaching 40 is astounding. Antonius is forty-three. Since Hall of Fame nominees are need to be above 40, more individuals in similar circumstances should be admitted in the coming years.

Prospective inductees must also have withstood the test of time, consistently performing at the top level and earning the respect of their colleagues.

Both in live high-roller tournaments and in high-stakes online gaming, Antonius remains a formidable opponent.

“This is a very big honor to become a new Hall of Famer,” Antonius said in a statement. “The last 24-25 years with poker went pretty fast. I think I’m going to stick around for a long time.”