Chris Moorman Says Online Poker Deserves More Hall Recognition
The UK grinder tied his legacy to online success as eight finalists wait for the 2026 decision.
Chris Moorman said his Poker Hall of Fame nomination felt “pretty cool” and argued it was “about time” online poker got more recognition. In a PokerStrategy interview, he said the game he built his career on deserves more respect because many of poker’s best players grew up online.
He said online poker was once seen as a step below live poker, especially when the format was still very new and players could not see their opponents. Now, he said, the games are more interchangeable, and sharpening a game online will often help a player make a successful move into live poker.
Moorman also said online is more important overall for him because it is what he specialized in and prioritized. He added that live success was a huge deal because it was tough at first, and he traced part of his comeback story to a massive bankroll hit, a step back to look at the big picture, and help from his mind coach Stephen Simpson.
He used the interview to make a broader case for European players. Moorman said Europeans sometimes get forgotten, that there are lots of European legends who have not really had a sniff at Hall of Fame induction, and that the Hall is often treated as just the WSOP hall of fame. He also said British pros are not all nits, describing them instead as tight-aggressive players who fight hard when they enter a pot.
Moorman said that if there were an online poker hall of fame, his first-ballot pick would be Niklas Astedt. He called Astedt an inspiration to every online grinder and said a main-event run a few years ago topped off his legacy. Looking ahead, Moorman said he wants to become a more well-rounded player by adding mixed-game prowess to his résumé.
The WSOP said eight finalists were named for the 2026 Poker Hall of Fame on June 24. PokerListings said this was Moorman’s first shot because he did not reach Hall eligibility until the summer of 2025, after voting had closed.
The WSOP said Moorman built his reputation through online tournament success before later winning a World Series of Poker bracelet live. It also laid out the revised process, in which surviving Hall members each get up to four votes and any finalist who clears a two-thirds threshold gets inducted. PokerStrategy said the field was chosen in a public vote before the final decision goes to a panel of living Hall of Famers, after the scoring criteria changed following Michael Mizrachi’s automatic induction last year. The induction announcement is set for the WSOP Main Event final table on ESPN from August 3-5.
