"I’m Gonna Stick Around For a Long Time" – Patrik Antonius Inducted into Poker Hall of Fame – PokerNews.com

Jul 14, 2024 5 min read Last updated Jul 17, 2024

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, were thrilled to see Patriks high-stakes career acknowledged by legends who have added the first international player to the Poker Hall of Fame in a number of years."

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.

"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."

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.

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'.

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 PokerNews. "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."

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews 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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"I'm Gonna Stick Around For a Long Time" - Patrik Antonius Inducted into Poker Hall of Fame - PokerNews.com