The most recent episode of the Late Reg Podcast, hosted by Phil Laak and Brian Rast, features an in-depth interview with Scott Seiver.
The trio discuss a number of topics throughout the two and a half hour conversation, including the MIT Mystery Hunt, crazy players in the games at Bobby's Room in Las Vegas, and dealing with ego at the poker table.
But perhaps the most interesting conversation centers around Seiver missing out on induction into the Poker Hall of Fame this year, and why he now cares greatly about joining its ranks.
You can watch the full 2.5 hour episode above, now.
Seiver: 'I know I'm great'
In the wake of sweeping changes to the Poker Hall of Fame voting process that allowed for more than one inductee per year, many in the community expected the Class of 2026 to include multiple players rather than the traditional one.
Instead, only a single player – Jason Koon – reached the 22-vote threshold for induction, leaving deserving names like Seiver, Isaac Haxton, and Shaun Deeb to wait at least another year for their inevitable honors.
Prior to the 2026 vote, Seiver knew that he cared about being in the Hall of Fame. He wanted that accolade – but he didn't fully understand why.
And then, having not received that expected recognition, he figured it out.
"Part of my deep desire to be in the Hall comes from the honest fact that I had to address to myself, is that me knowing I'm great in my own head wasn't enough," he tells Rast and Laak.
"It should be; if I was maybe a more actualized person, that's all I would need. I know I'm great, I know I deserve this. I know the 8 people I truly trust and respect also think I'm great."
As tends to be the case, Seiver's internalized worth failed to sustain him in the face of not reaching the Hall of Fame.
"In theory, that should be enough," he continues. "It turns out, it's not quite. And I think a lot of that is because of how much I've dedicated my life to this.
"If you put enough time into anything, you want to feel that you made the right choice in doing so and that you have been rewarded for it. And, of course, I've been rewarded financially, but there's a [greater] reward in knowing that your peers think you did something special enough to be remembered after you're gone."
We're certainly not going to forget Scott Seiver anytime soon; here's hoping the voting members of the Hall of Fame keep him in mind, too.
