Phil Ivey and David “Devilfish” Ulliott were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017. The announcement was made by ESPN commentator Kara Scott during the final table coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Friday night.
This year, at the age of 40, Ivey qualified for the Hall of Fame. Following in the footsteps of Daniel Negreanu, Ivey is also a first-ballot inductee.
The British poker pro, Ulliott, who contributed to the popularization of the game in his homeland, passed away in 2015.
Ivey absent from WSOP this year
In recent years, Ivey has been less prominent at the WSOP. His withdrawal started in 2011, post the Black Friday event. Initially, he was uneasy about playing, knowing that Full Tilt Poker – a site he partially owned, hadn’t reimbursed its players.
Lately, Ivey’s time has been consumed more by legal issues than poker. Just a week ago, his lawsuit against Crockfords Casino in London was heard by the British Supreme Court.
Ivey filed a lawsuit for more than £7 million in Baccarat winnings. The casino refused to pay out, alleging that Ivey and his associate, Cheung Yin “Kelly” Sun, employed edge-sorting tactics to unfairly tilt the odds in their favor.
Ivey is facing a similar lawsuit in the US, where Borgata Resort and Casino in Atlantic City is suing him to recover over $10 million in Baccarat winnings. The case is currently under appeal, but so far, all courts have sided with Borgata.
Despite not attending the WSOP, Ivey did make an appearance in a Las Vegas casino this summer. He spent time playing in the cash games at the Bellagio.
Ivey’s poker resume the best of the best
Though currently absent from the poker limelight, Ivey remains a prominent figure. His poker track record is flawless. His 10 victories put him in a three-way tie with Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan for second place on the all-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet list. His victories span a broad spectrum of games. Additionally, in 2009, he made it to the final table of the WSOP Main Event.
Over the recent years, the all-time money list has seen many players rise, primarily due to the increasing popularity of small field high buy-in High Roller tournaments. Ivey was a pioneer in this trend, winning some of the initial events at Aussie Millions. However, his statistics are not as inflated by these numbers as some others.
Despite the lack of recent scores, Ivey maintains his fifth position on the all-time list with career tournament earnings exceeding $23.85 million. However, this figure does not include his earnings from cash games. Fellow players from “The Big Game” vouch for Ivey’s superior skills in cash games.
Ivey not only dominated live cash games, but was also a regular participant in the high-stakes online poker cash games on Full Tilt Poker.
“I am one of the lucky people”
Ivey released a statement expressing the significance of his induction to him:
I would like to express my gratitude to the living members of the Poker Hall of Fame and the media whose votes helped me secure my place in the Poker Hall of Fame. Being inducted alongside icons like Chip Reese and Doyle Brunson is a true privilege. My affection for the game of poker has always been immense and the game has greatly enriched my life. I feel fortunate to earn a living from a game that I am deeply passionate about. My fervor for poker remains as strong today as it was when I first played at Binion’s Horseshoe in my debut WSOP. My heartfelt thanks go to my family, friends, and poker enthusiasts worldwide who have supported me throughout this journey.
Ulliott nabs second spot on HOF roster
In a year when Ivey’s inclusion was certain, the real question was who would occupy the second spot in the 2017 class.
The Hall of Fame has received criticism in recent years for being overly concentrated on US players. The recent induction of Scotty Nguyen, Carlos Mortensen, Daniel Negreanu, and John Juanda has helped to diversify the representation. However, some key figures from the European poker scene are still noticeably absent.
This year, the issue was addressed by including Ulliott in the voters’ selection. The late Ulliott had amassed over $6 million in career tournament earnings, which included victories in both WSOP and World Poker Tour titles.
Ulliott is perhaps recognized more for his larger-than-life personality than his significant poker achievements. His memorable bad boy image made him a constant presence on British poker television during its surge in popularity.
Image sourced from 4kclips / Shutterstock.com
