“I’m Gonna Stick Around For a Long Time” – Patrik Antonius Inducted into Poker Hall of Fame


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Patrik Antonius

Welcome to the Poker Hall of Fame: Patrik Antonius.

With a distinguished career and over $23 million in career earnings, Antonius embodies everything that the Poker Hall of Fame stands for, having played high-stakes poker against some of the greatest players of his generation and gained the respect of both cash game and tournament players alike.

“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.”

Patrik Antonius

Famous for his Full Tilt Poker clashes with Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Phil Ivey and Victor “Isildur1” Blom in the late 2000s, Antonius also has 11 recorded live tournament victories including the 2005 EPT Baden Main Event and the 2024 EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 Super High Roller.

Antonius is the first European player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since the late David “Devilfish” Ulliott in 2017. He’s also the first living European to be inducted since 2008 when holecard camera inventor Henry Orenstein was inducted.

In fact, Antonius is only the fifth European ever inducted after Nick “The Greek” Dandolos and Edmond Hoyle.

According to the WSOP, Antonius edged “Miami” John Cernuto and Isai Scheinberg in the voting to secure his 2024 nomination.

Antonius Reaction

Patrik Antonius

“This is a very big honor to become a new Hall of Famer,” said Antonius. “Obviously big thanks to my family and close friends — just everyone who has been there for me through the good and the bad.

“This has really been one of the nicest things for me. I’ve always been a student of the game and always hoped that poker continues to get bigger and better. And just look at where we are now. It looks like poker has never been as good as it is now — we’re breaking records all over the world.”

“The last 24-25 years with poker went pretty fast. I think I’m going to stick around for a long time.”

This was only the second year that Antonius was nominated, but it had been four years since his first nomination in 2020 — his first year of eligibility.

“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.

“It’s so nice that so many people have found poker and are passionate about poker. We can all do it together. Let’s keep growing the game and thank you to everyone who’s supported me and voted for me.”

Patrik Antonius Poker Career

Originally a promising tennis player, Antonius suffered a back injury as a teenager before turning to poker. $50 home games with friends swiftly turned into a distinguished poker career across both tournaments and cash games.

Antonius’s poker career has now spanned over two decades, from the small Dutch island of Sint Maarten, where he recorded his first live poker cash in a $220 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament in 2003, to the bright lights of the European Poker Tour and the Triton Poker Series where he continues to play today.

Antonius recorded his first cash at the World Series of Poker in 2005, months before he famously won the EPT Baden Main Event, less than one month after finishing third in the EPT Barcelona Main Event.

He rounded out 2005 by finishing second in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas for $1,046,470.

Antonius would make regular appearances on Poker After Dark, Poker Million, and Late Night Poker throughout the poker boom in the late 2000s.

In tournaments, a bracelet has so far eluded him. He came closest in 2007, finishing third for $311,394 in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, and final-tabled the WSOP Europe Main Event in Cannes France in 2011.

Patrik Antonius

Antonius enjoyed more success in Australia, finishing second to Phil Ivey in the Aussie Millions A$250,000 Challenge for A$1,200,000 and finishing third in the Aussie Millions Main Event the following year for A$600,000.

High-stakes cash games — both live and online — have also taken a great deal of Antonius’ attention, with the Finn going so far as to say he doesn’t think he plays good poker when playing at smaller stakes.

He’s said that fellow Hall of Famer Phil Ivey and Viktor “Isildur1” Blom were among the top online players he’s ever faced, and he’s a regular in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio — even as recently as this week — playing in some of the biggest mixed games cash games around.

In 2023, Antonius played out one of the largest ever pot broadcast live on a US live stream, winning $1,978,000 in a hand against Eric Persson on ‘No Gamble, No Future’.

Patrik Antonius

But the allure of tournaments remained. Earlier this year, Antonius proved that he still had it after taking down the EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 Super High Roller for €1,967,440.

“I’m trying to keep my game as high level as possible,” he told CelestialPoker. “I really enjoy playing against the toughest competition, whether cash games or tournaments. The goal is really to keep playing. I would like to, be here giving interviews in the next ten, 20 years or so. So let’s see if I can keep up with all the boys.”

Patrik Antonius Top 5 Poker Results

Date Event Place Payout (USD)
Mar-18 Super High Roller Bowl China 2nd $3,153,551
Apr-24 €100,000 EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller 1st $2,107,933
May-23 $200,000 Triton Poker Series Luxon Invitational 3rd $2,100,000
Mar-24 $100,000 Triton Jeju Main Event 4th $1,697,000
Jan-12 Aussie Millions $250,000 Challenge 2nd $1,235,369

Current Members of the Poker Hall of Fame

Member Year Member Year Member Year
Tom Abdo 1982 T “Blondie” Forbes 1980 Johnny Moss 1979
Crandell Addington 2005 Barry Greenstein 2011 Daniel Negreanu 2014
Patrik Antonius 2024 Jennifer Harman 2015 Scotty Nguyen 2013
Bobby Baldwin 2003 Dan Harrington 2010 David Oppenheim 2019
Billy Baxter 2006 Murph Harrold 1984 Henry Orenstein 2008
Lyle Berman 2002 Phil Hellmuth 2007 Walter “Puggy” Pearson 1987
Joe Bernstein 1983 John Hennigan 2018 Julius Oral Popwell 1996
Benny Binion 1990 James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok 1979 Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston 1992
Jack Binion 2005 Red Hodges 1985 Brian Rast 2023
Bill Boyd 1981 Edmond Hoyle 1979 David “Chip” Reese 1991
Doyle Brunson 1988 Phil Ivey 2017 Brian “Sailor” Roberts 2012
Todd Brunson 2016 Linda Johnson 2011 Huck Seed 2020
Johnny Chan 2002 Berry Johnston 2004 Erik Seidel 2010
T.J. Cloutier 2006 John Juanda 2015 Mike Sexton 2009
Nick Dandolos 1979 Jack Keller 1993 Jack “Treetop” Straus 1988
Eric Drache 2012 Jack McClelland 2014 Dewey Tomko 2008
Barbara Enright 2007 Felton McCorquodale 1979 David “Devilfish” Ulliott 2017
Mori Eskandani 2018 Tom McEvoy 2013 Stu Ungar 2001
Fred “Sarge” Ferris 1989 Chris Moneymaker 2019 Red Winn 1979
Henry Green 1986 Roger Moore 1997 Sid Wyman 1979
Layne Flack 2022 Carlos Mortensen 2016 Eli Elezra 2021

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Managing Editor

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for CelestialPoker as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.




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