Phil Ivey, David 'Devilfish' Ulliott Inducted Into Poker Hall Of Fame

On Friday night, during the ESPN televised broadcast of the World Series of Poker main event, a governing council announced the induction of Phil Ivey and the late David “Devilfish” Ulliott into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Ivey and Ulliott were two of the 10 nominees chosen from by the 27 living members of the PHOF, as well as 18 members of the media. The other nominees were Huck Seed, David Chiu, Matt Savage, Mori Eskandani, Max Pescatori, Ted Forrest, Mike Matusow and Thor Hansen.

Ivey, a 10-time WSOP bracelet winner with more than $23 million in live tournament earnings, became eligible for the PHOF just last February after turning 40.

“I want to thank the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame as well as the media who voted for me to be part of the Poker Hall of Fame,” said Ivey in a statement. “It’s an honor to be inducted alongside legends like Chip Reese and Doyle Brunson. I love the game of poker and the game has done a lot for me. I am one of the lucky people who has been able to make a living playing a game which was always my passion. Thankfully, I’m just as passionate about the game today as when I first stepped into Binion’s Horseshoe to play my first-ever WSOP. Thank you to my family, my friends, and all the poker fans across the world that supported me on this journey.”

Ulliott, who had a bracelet himself, was a poker legend who was instrumental in spreading the game in England. He passed away from cancer in April of 2015.

“As a family we would like to thank the general public, media and current Poker Hall of Fame members that voted David into the Poker Hall of Fame," said his family in a statement. "We know he will be up there strumming on his guitar and probably asking what took so long! How he might say it – I think you all know! There isn’t a day that goes past when we don’t think of him and miss him but today we are so proud and delighted that he takes his rightful place in poker history – the legend of the Devilfish lives on! There are too many people to individually thank but we would particularly like to thank Rob Yong and Simon Trumper of Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham for their support and also we welcome Kings Casino offer to commemorate David’s induction into the Poker Hall of Fame at the WSOP Europe in October. Just remember, as the Devilfish would say – ‘Life is a blast. It doesn’t last. Live it long and live it fast’.”

In order to be considered, a player must be at least 40 years old, played poker against top competition, played for high stakes, played well enough to earn the respect of their peers and stood the test of time. Non-players must have contributed to the overall growth of the game, with indelible positive and lasting results.

Here is a look at all 54 players inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

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