These Two Lovely Ladies Just Made the Hall of Fame

The Women In Poker Hall of Fame was launched in 2008 and seeks to “honor women in poker who have acquired prominence and have made contributions to the poker world.” Prominent women in poker such as Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harman, and Barbara Enright have already been inducted as members, and it was announced this week that two more inductees for 2016 —UK-based journalist and poker player Victoria Coren Mitchell and poker journalist and industry veteran Debbie “Does Poker” Burkhead— will be added to the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Las Vegas on July 6th.

The ceremony has a dual purpose. It gives the poker industry the opportunity to honor the two ladies that are being inducted but it is also an opportunity to raise money for Poker Gives, the poker based charity that has been associated with the Women in Poker Hall of Fame since it’s inception in 2008. The charity was originally launched by poker professionals Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher>, and Lisa Tenner, and the money raised for the charity goes towards providing social services for military families in need.

Victoria Coren Mitchell and Debbie Burkhead were selected by a top panel of poker industry experts that includes many well-known names from the world of poker like Kevin Mathers, Jason Somerville, and Matt Savage.

Victoria Coren Mitchell

Married to UK comedian David Mitchell, Vicky is known in the UK far beyond the poker felt. Since 2008, Coren Mitchell has been the host of the popular UK TV quiz series “Only Connect” and she is known for her sharp intelligence and excellent comic timing. She is a regular panellist on BBC’s Question Time which discusses current affairs with the top politicians in the country. Vicky always more than holds her own in these fierce political exchanges.

Vicky was always a trendsetter, and gained a level of fame whilst studying for what was eventually a First Class Honours degree in English at Oxford University (impressive). She decided, with a friend, to produce an adult movie after reviewing erotic movies for a newspaper and deciding she could do a better job. This experience formed the basis of her first book “Once More, With Feeling” which was published in 2003 and she has written many more. Vicky remains an active journalist for UK newspapers The Guardian and The Observer.

Her poker resume is equally as impressive and compares with any professional poker player. Her biggest win was on 24 September 2006 when she defeated Australian Emad Tahtouh to win the EPT London. The first prize was £500,000. In 2014 she became the first woman to win two EPT events when she added the EPT San Remo to her list of major tournament victories, this time adding the first prize of €476,100 to her bankroll. Vicky’s lifetime earnings in poker are over $2.4 million and this does not include her cash game winnings. Vicky regularly battles other well-known poker professionals in the high stakes cash games at the Victoria Casino, London.

Debbie Burkhead

Whilst there is a lot more to Debbie Burkhead than a cool nickname, you are probably wondering where the nickname Debbie “Does Poker” comes from. A brilliantly marketed and popular poker column, her “Debbie Does Poker” article ran for an amazing ten years in Poker Player Newspaper, finding mainstream popularity long before the game of poker managed it.

For 25 years Debbie has been a poker writer providing entertaining content and standing as a strong advocate for women in poker well before the poker boom. The magazines she has written for read like a highlight reel of the best poker publications there are and include Poker Digest, where she was editor and Poker Player newspaper. Always at the forefront of the poker industry, she founded Poker Player cruises in 2010 and was president of the company until 2013. She now works for Ante Up as a sales rep and has tournament winnings on the poker circuit in excess of $200,000.

Enjoying success in poker both on and off the felt, there is no doubt, when you look at her tournament results, that Debbie is a talented poker player. She has won various tournaments in No Limit Poker, Limit Hold’em, HORSE and Stud variations of poker. Like many industry veterans, she is not limited to No Limit Hold’em and enjoys a wider knowledge of the game. This is hardly surprising when you note that she has been writing about poker for 25 years..

It is great to see these two talented women inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was particularly pleased to see Debbie Burkhead receive recognition, as, prior to the poker boom, women in poker greatly benefited from her profile and promotion of the game.

We hope that Victoria and Debbie enjoy the ceremony. They certainly deserve their place in the prestigious Women in Poker Hall of Fame and our congratulations go to both of them.