Dave 'Devilfish' Ulliott inducted in Poker Hall of Fame

Dave Ulliott, known by his poker nickname of Devilfish, was a top international gambler for decades

A man dubbed a "true godfather" of the game has been posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

The honour for Dave Ulliott, who died from cancer at the age of 61 in 2015, was revealed during the main event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Ulliott, from Hull, East Yorkshire, known by his nickname Devilfish, was an international gambler for decades.

News of his accolade comes as John Hesp, also of East Yorkshire, won $2.6m (£2m) at the tournament in Las Vegas.

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Ulliott joins 53 other players named in the Hall of Fame. He received the award for "his role in growing the game in England", said WSOP.

Poker News said he was "considered to be one of the true godfathers of poker in Europe" and "one of the most distinctive characters" of the poker world.

"Devilfish" starred on Late Night Poker on Channel 4, a programme that started in 1999 and helped popularise the game.

It was the first poker show to use "hole-cam" technology, which revolutionised poker for viewers and became a staple of all the other poker TV shows that followed.

With his slicked-back hair, sharp suits and tinted glasses, Ulliott was Late Night Poker's undoubted star - and arguably the first star of poker on television.

In a statement, his family said: "We know he will be up there strumming on his guitar and probably asking 'what took so long?'

"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!"

His son David tweeted to thank those who supported his father's Hall of Fame nomination.

WSOP said of Ulliott: "He left an indelible impact on the game and all those he came in contact with."

Devilfish won more than $6.2m (£4.8m at current rates) in lifetime earnings, the organisation said, including a coveted WSOP bracelet in a pot limit hold'em event in 1997. He also won a WPT title in 2003.