Keith Hall, Husbandviprummy Of Ruth Hall, Passed Away From Cancer

The poker community received sad news on Friday when well-known Texas poker player Ruth Hall (also known as “Ruthless”), a founding member of the Women’s Poker Association (WPA) and ladies poker advocate, shared that her husband, James “Keith” Hall had passed away after a nearly 18-month battle with cancer.

“James ‘Keith’ Hall has gone to be with his Dad,” Ruth Hall shared on social media. “Our thanks go out to #TeamHall Family & Friends, MSU Brothers, and Childhood Friends for your support and love during his awful cancer journey - close to 18 months. We were blessed to be given this time to show him how much he is truly loved. I told him it’s okay to go that I would come join him, he said: “It’s far.” Until we meet again, Honey. May God Bless Sweet Baby James. I’ll keep loving him every single day and he will always be in my broken heart.”

Hundreds of people expressed their condolences on the social media post, including many from the poker community.

“May God grant you and your family peace and comfort during this time,” wrote two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Kat Bowen.

Beverly Skipper Lange said: “I’m sad and tears flow for you. I’m grateful for the good times you all made front and center. You all joined hands and hearts to fight the good fight. God bless you all and give you His peace.”

“So sorry for your loss, Ruth. We were all rooting for you,” wrote Joe “Stapes” Stapleton.

Alex Outhred offered: “While deeply saddened this day arrived, I’m even more thankful he was surrounded by and infused with so much love, life, and support. The excessive dignity of being with your love and adventuring amid treatments and being ever so present is life and love at its finest. His fight and how it was shared will be enduring within all of us. Thank you for sharing so dutifully and for being a light in a dark time.”

Keith Hall had $30,410 in tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob, which included a career-best $6,540 for finishing in third in the 2022 WPT Choctaw Event #16: $200 NLH Seniors. By comparison, his wife Ruth has $489,149 in total live earnings with a career-best $34,709 for winning a $185 Rio Daily Deepstack during the 2015 WSOP.

Ruth has been a regular at The Lodge in Austin, Texas, her preferred place to play so as not to be too far from her husband. In 2016, Ruth returned to the WSOP after a cancer battle of her own, and in 2020 she was honored as WPA Player of the Year.

In 2022, she won the Nevada State Ladies Poker Championship by LIPS for a second time having done so in 2019. Last summer, PokerNewschatted with Ruth during the 2024 WSOP Ladies Event.

"I believe this will be my last Ladies event,” she said at the time. “I have had some health issues as everyone knows, and my husband is chronically ill. And so we're going to do a little traveling, and do just whatever he'd like to do.”

PokerNewsoffers its condolences to Ruth and all the friends and family of Keith Hall.