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On Friday night, at a short break on the World Series of Poker Main Event final table, a governing council proudly announced the induction of their 53rd and 54th members - the iconic poker pro Phil Ivey and the late David "Devilfish" Ulliott - into the Poker Hall of Fame.

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

Phil Ivey is a 10-time WSOP bracelet winner with over $23 million in live tournament earnings. He became qualified for the Poker Hall of Fame just this February after he turned 40 years old, "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. 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."

David Ulliott, who also had won a bracelet, was a poker legend who has helped influence the spread of the game in England. Unfortunately, he died from cancer in April 2015. His family said in a statement, "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. 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'."

To be considered as a nominee for the PHOF, a player should be at least 40 years old, played for high stakes, has played poker against top competition, and played well enough to stand the test of time and has earned the respect and admiration of their peers. Non-players should have contributed to the overall progress and growth of the game, with unforgettable positive and long-lasting results.

Here's the full list of 54 players inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame:

Source:
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/07/phil-ivey-devilfish-inducted-into-poker-hall-of-fame-28592.htm