Victoria Coren-Mitchel Becomes First UK Inductee Into The Poker Hall of Fame

The WIPHOF committee has announced that this year’s inductees into the ‘Women in Poker Hall of Fame’ will be Debbie Burkhead and Victoria Coren, with the official ceremony scheduled to take place at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino Ballroom in Las Vegas on July 6th.
The initial shortlist of candidates included such other talented players and industry workers as Karina Jett, Jennifer Tilly, Shirley Rosario, and Mandy Glogow. In the end, however, it was Coren-Mitchel and Burkhead who were chosen for their prominence in the poker world, and the significant contributions they have made over the years.
Victoria Coren-Mitchel is a U.K. poker pro with $2,461,988 in live career earnings, who in 2006 became the first woman ever to win a European Poker Tour (EPT) title after taking down the EPT London for £500,000 ($941,513). In 2014, Coren-Mitchel then made history once more when she claimed a second EPT title in Sanremo for €476,100 ($660,947). The well-known broadcaster and poker writer also becomes the first UK player in history to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, not including Edmond Hoyle (1672 – 1769) who was inducted in 1979, and died before Poker was even invented.
“I’m very touched and flattered, thank you very much!,” tweeted Victoria Coren-Mitchel after the announcement was made.
The othe rinductee, Debbie Burkhead, has been a feature of the poker world since the 1990’s, and many will have of heard of her from the regular poker column she used to write for Poker Player Newspaper called “Debbie Does Poker”. Burkhead has also promoted the game writing for media outlets such as PokerPages.com, and Poker Digest, and in 2010 created the Poker Player Cruises, where she served as president until 2013. At the poker tables, Burkhead has also racked up $176,095 in live earnings since her first live tournament cash back in 1996.
Congratulations to Debbie Burkhead and Victoria Coren-Mitchel for being two deserving inductees into the 2016 WIPHOF.