Poker Hall of Fame: Jason Koon was the sole inductee in his first year of eligibility.

Jason Koon was selected as the sole inductee into the 2026 Poker Hall of Fame on his first eligible nomination. The poker legend, who has won over $77 million in his career, receives this honor at the age of 40.

When asked about the possibility of being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2025, Jason Koon told PokerNews that he would "see what the people inside think."

He just turned 40 last August—a basic requirement for induction—and the 33 living members of the Hall of Fame have decided that he deserves induction based on his rich and legendary poker career.

Despite the well-known changes to the selection process, Koon will be the sole inductee in 2026.

Koon was "shocked" by the selection.

"To be honest, poker is a unique experience for me," Koon told Jeff Platt during the WSOP Main Event broadcast. "From the first time I played poker, it was my life."

"(And) it's been 20 years of my life. To be voted in by the greatest poker players of all time is one of the most amazing experiences of my life."

Koon joined Ali Nejad and fellow Hall of Famer Nick Schulman on the commentary panel.

"I was shocked when they told me, and I was also shocked when they told me I was the only one selected."

"Being voted for by the greatest poker players of all time is one of the most amazing experiences of my life."

In a subsequent interview with Chad Holloway of PokerNews, Koon acknowledged that "there are some nominated players" who deserved to be included as much as he did, including his friends Jeremy Ausmus and Isaac Haxton, the latter "who has always been my poker mentor."

“We’ve been peers for a long time, but he really had a huge impact on my life early in my high-stakes poker career,” Koon said. “And those guys are legends.”

"There are a few other legends who should be included as well. I mean, Scott Seiver, when I started playing Super High Roller, he was the best Super High Roller player on the planet."

Koon's illustrious poker career

As of August 2026, Koon ranked third on the all-time poker money list with over $77 million in career winnings.

Nearly $2 million of that came in 2025 when he won the #32:$50,000 High Roller event, earning his second WSOP gold bracelet, five years after winning his first in the prestigious $25K heads-up tournament.

Between these two victories, Koon has made an impact on the poker world both at and off the table. He has served as an ambassador for PartyPoker and GGPoker, and is now a member of PokerStars Team Pro—the very platform where he first began his online poker career.

He has also served as a Triton Poker ambassador since 2019, winning a record 12 titles—five more than anyone else. His biggest winnings came from the Triton Poker Series, where he won over $3.5 million in the 2018 Triton Montenegro HK$1,000,000 Short Deck event.

Who was not selected this year?

Koon is one of five first-time nominees this year, the other four being eight-time WSOP bracelet winners Shaun Deeb, Isaac Haxton, Chris Moorman, and Justin Bonomo.

PokerStars founder Isai Scheinberg was not selected for the seventh time, behind only Ted Forrest (8 times), Matt Savage (10 times), and Mike Matusow, who extended his unpopular record—he has been nominated 12 times since 2013 but has never been selected.

Scott Seiver was also left out, marking his second consecutive year failing to be selected since first qualifying in 2025.

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