Jason Koon Became the 65th Inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame

The Poker Hall of Fame's new rule failed

Faced with an exceptionally strong field of candidates, the Poker Hall of Fame introduced a major change to its election process this year. For the first time, up to six people could be inducted in a single year, replacing the previous system that typically admitted just one new member (or two in rare cases).
The new format, however, produced an unexpected outcome. Despite the expanded limits, only one nominee secured enough support to earn induction.

US high roller Jason Koon became the 65th member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

33 current Hall of Fame members conducted voting. Each member could select up to four candidates from a list of eight nominees. The election required the support of at least two-thirds of the voters, or at least 22 votes.

The final vote count was as follows:

• Jason Koon (USA) - 23 votes
• Scott  Seiver (USA) - 19 votes
• Isai Scheinberg (Canada) - 17 votes
• Shaun Deeb (USA) - 15 votes
• Mike Matusow (USA) - 10 votes
• Ike Haxton (USA) - 9 votes
• Chris Moorman (UK) - 4 votes
• Justin Bonomo (USA) - 3 votes

After the voting results were announced, Koon said:

"There were many players on the nominee list who were just as deserving of the nomination as I was. Jeremy Ausmus is one of my best friends, Ike Haxton was my mentor early in my career, and Scott Seiver was already considered one of the strongest super high rollers in the world when I first started playing these tournaments."

Koon's poker career

Jason Koon's life might have unfolded very differently. In his youth, he was a dedicated runner with serious athletic aspirations, but a severe hip injury forced him to abandon the sport. That setback ultimately led him to poker.

Koon first gained widespread recognition in 2009 when he captured a PokerStars SCOOP title online, earning nearly $300,000. The following year, he finished fourth in the WPT Championship Event and earned $225,000.

Following Black Friday, Koon shifted his focus almost entirely to live tournaments. His results improved steadily, and he repeatedly surpassed his own career-best cashes. In 2012, he came close to winning his first WSOP bracelet, finishing second in a $3,000 event. The true turning point in Koon's career came in 2016 and 2017:

• 7 tournament wins
• 14 six-figure payouts
• 2 seven-figure payouts

Triton Poker has been the highlight of Jason's career. Of the more than $77 million Koon has earned in live tournaments, nearly $41 million has come from Triton Poker events.  He also holds the series record with 12 tournament wins. His closest rival, Matthias Eibinger, has only seven titles.

In October 2021, Jason won the $25,000 World Series of Poker heads-up event, completing the Triple Crown — winning the EPT, WPT, and WSOP. He earned his second bracelet four years later, winning the $50,000 WSOP High Roller.

August 14th marks Jason Koon's 41st birthday. For the Poker Hall of Fame inductee, this marks the beginning of a new chapter rather than the conclusion of his career. 

The US player remains one of the world's strongest high rollers: in 2026 alone, he reached ten final tables at Triton Poker, and in May, he won the €100K EPT Monte-Carlo Super High Roller, earning €1 million. Koon currently ranks third on the global All-Time Money List.

Judging by Koon's current performances, his greatest achievements and new records are still to come.

Jason Koon's Top 10 Wins: