Lupe Soto, Maria Ho Selected for Women in Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2018
The votes are in for the 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductees. Of the 11 highly qualified ladies nominated, Maria Ho and Lupe Soto were selected to join the illustrious group of 17 Hall of Famers inducted since the Hall’s inception in 2008. Following the organization's motto, "Celebrating excellence, contribution and performance," the two selects fit the bill.
Soto and Ho will officially join the Hall at the WiPHoF Luncheon Celebration & Induction at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday, June 26 at 11 a.m. Sponsors of the event, which is open to the public, include PokerStars and Stars’ charitable group Helping Hands, as well as 888poker and Card Player Cruises. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the WiPHoF’s partner, Poker Gives, a charity that serves homeless veterans and military families in need.
About the Selects
Lupe Soto
In the Hall’s tenth anniversary, it is fitting that the Women in Poker Hall of Fame founder Lupe Soto will become an official inductee. Soto has worked tirelessly to promote the participation of women in the game of poker, starting with the founding of the first online poker forum for women in 2002.
She followed that up in 2004 with the creation of a poker tour centered around women – Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS), and then founded the Hall of Fame to honor influential women in poker four years later. Soto now holds position of CEO of Senior Poker Tour and Founder & Executive Director of Women’s Poker Association (WPA), a newly formed non-profit member-based organization aimed at promoting women in the game.
“I am so excited to be included amongst these amazing women," Soto commented. "The ballot this year was filled with some of the most respected and well deserving women in the game. All of them should hold a place in the Hall and I’m sure one day soon, they will!”
Maria Ho
Anyone who has followed poker in the last decade will recognize the name Maria Ho, selected for the Hall of Fame in her first year of elibility. Well-established as a successful poker player, TV personality, ambassador and host/commentator, Ho is tenth on the female all-time money list on Hendon Mob with over $2.7 million dollars in earnings and is currently ranked fourth on the female GPI world rankings.
Ho has been a trailblazer in her own right; She was the first female hired as a strategic commentator for a poker television broadcast (HPT), was part of the broadcast team during the 2017 WSOP Main Event, and now co-hosts WPT’s King of the Club on Fox Sports Net. She even made a foray into mainstream television, appearing on the Emmy-winning 15th season of The Amazing Race.
Upon the news of her selection, Ho responded, “Wow! What wonderful news to receive! I am honestly incredibly shocked and beyond honored to hear this.”
For more information regarding the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, or to purchase tickets for the Induction Luncheon, head over to www.WiPHoF.com.
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