Iconic poker pro Phil Ivey and the late David “Devilfish” Ulliott have officially made the 2017 class of the Poker Hall of Fame.

The official announcement was made during the midst of the WSOP Main Event final table last night.

Ivey has often been referred to as the best poker player in the world with over $23 million in live tournament earnings and millions more from dominating the biggest online cash games for years.

The 10-time WSOP bracelet winner was an easy first-ballot inductee as he’s dominated nearly every form of poker for an extended period of time and is the epitome of a TV pro.

Meanwhile Ulliott, who passed away to cancer in 2015, recorded a more modest $6.2 million but was one of the first English players to make a dent on the international poker circuit and one of the most colorful players in the history of the game.

Known for his outlandish style, complete with knuckledusters and garish sunglasses, the Devilfish was always easy to spot in the poker room.

Ivey: “It’s an Honor to Be Inducted”

This was the first year that Ivey was eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame thanks to turning 40 earlier this year.

Despite his incredible achievements in poker, Ivey has actually been largely absent from the WSOP and the live tournament circuit for the last few years.

That wasn’t enough to deter voters from getting Ivey in the hall of fame on his first ballot, however.

Ivey didn’t show up at the Rio for his induction but he did provide this statement to the WSOP:

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.

The Legend of Devilfish Lives On

David Ulliott was known as one of poker’s all-time best talkers and never backed down from a confrontation at the table.

Ulliott is one of the few Europeans that has been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, which has been a nagging criticism about the Hall of Fame in the past.

His family released the following statement about his induction:

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’.

The other finalists for the 2017 Poker Hall of Fame Class included David Chiu, Mori Eskandani, Ted Forrest, Thor Hansen, Mike Matusow, Max Pescatori, Matt Savage and Huckleberry Seed.

All of the aforementioned people remain eligible for future induction.