For the 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHoF) inductees, the votes are in! Among the 11 highly-qualified ladies nominated, it was Maria Ho and Lupe Soto who were chosen to become members of the illustrious group of 17 Hall of Famers inducted since its foundation in 2008. The two latest additions perfectly fit the women organization's motto "Celebrating excellence, contribution and performance."
Lupe Soto
Seeing that it would be the Hall's 10th anniversary, it's about time that the founder of Women in Poker Hall of Fame Lupe Soto shall become an official inductee! Soto has worked hard to promote women's participation in poker games, and she started by founding the very first online poker forum especially for women back in 2002.
In 2004, she created a poker tour exclusively for women, the Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS), and then four years later she founded the Hall of Fame to honor influential women in the poker world.
Currently, Soto is CEO of Senior Poker Tour. She's also the founder and executive director of Women's Poker Association (WPA), a newly-formed member-based non-profit organization aimed at promoting women in the game.
Soto said, "I am so excited to be included amongst these amazing women. The ballot this year was filled with some of the most respected and well deserving women in the game. All of them should hold a place in the Hall and I'm sure one day soon, they will!"
Maria Ho
The second inductee selected to be in this year's Women of Poker Hall of Fame is Maria Ho.
The 35-year-old Maria Ho is considered one of the most recognizable female faces in today's poker world, with total live tournament earnings exceeding $2.7 million!
A well-established and successful poker player, ambassador, TV personality, host and commentator, Ho was the first female hired as a strategic commentator for a poker TV broadcast, was once a part of the broadcast team during the 2017 WSOP Main Event, and currently is a co-host at WPT's King of the Club on Fox Sports Net.
She also competed in shows like American Idol as well as the 15th season of the Amazing Race (along with fellow poker player and best friend Tiffany Michelle).
In total for now she has 45 WSOP cashes, 4 WSOP final tables, 1 WSOP Circuit final table, 6 WPT cashes, 1 WPT final table, and many other final tables on the pro poker circuit.
Scheduled on Tuesday, June 26 at 11am, Maria Ho and Lupe Soto shall officially join the Hall at the WiPHoF Luncheon Celebration & Induction at the New Orleans Casino. The event is open to the public. Sponsors of the event include 888poker, Card Player Cruises, and PokerStars and Star's charitable group Helping Hands. A portion of the proceeds will go to the WiPHoF's partner, Poker Gives, a charitable institution that helps homeless veterans and military families in need.
Source:
https://www.highstakesdb.com/8699-maria-ho-lupe-soto-inducted-into-women-in-poker-hall-of-fame.aspx
