Event
#20
THE SIX FINALISTS
Behind each of the six poker players at
this year�s final table lies a story.
Each player has a unique story to tell
about how he made it to the championship
finale. For some, making the final table
of the Jack Binion World Poker Open championship
is the crowing achievement of a lifetime.
A few of the finalists have spent decades
playing in private games back in their
hometowns. Others paid their dues by spending
days, months, and years toiling away in
public cardrooms. Now, these players have
a chance to be part of poker history.
For the more experienced professional
players, making the final table and competing
for over half-a-million dollars in first-place
prize money is just another day at the
office. Here are the �stories� of six
finalists:
SEAT
1: David �Devil Fish� Ulliott -- Hull
England (Chip Count: 613,000)
BACKGROUND:
The first question many people ask �Devil
Fish� is how he earned his unusual nickname.
Devil Fish started playing poker many
years ago, back in his native England.
His style of play was so aggressive, that
he quickly went from being the �fish�
in the game to the �Devil Fish� -- especially
as he improved and started winning big
money. After one particularly profitable
night laying in one of East London�s underground
pot-limit games, an opponent angrily called
Ulliott the �Devil Fish,� for gobbling
up every chip at the table. The name stuck.
Ulliott, age 48, was a successful jeweler
before becoming a professional poker player.
Since turning pro, he�s added many bracelets
and gold watches to his bulging jewelry
collection. Ulliott has numerous tournament
wins -- both in the United States and
Europe. His biggest wins have been at
the World Series of Poker for Pot-Limit
Hold�em, the European Seven-Card Stud
Championship, and ten other Pot-Limit
Omaha titles � including a win here at
the World Poker Open in 2002. Ulliott
noted that the main reason he is here
at the World Poker Open is because of
the great personal respect he has for
Jack Binion.
HOW
HE GOT HERE: Devil Fish has been in a
very favorable chip position throughout
this entire four-day tournament. He ended
the first day 13th in chips (out of 97).
At the end of the second day, Devil Fish
was 6th in chips (out of 17). The only
rough spot along the way for Devil Fish
was in the middle of Day Three. With almost
300,000 in chips, Ulliott lost half of
his stack to Phil Ivey on one critical
hand. Remarkably, Devil Fish recovered
from that loss and went on a stunning
run from 150,000 in chips to over 600,000.
On this, the final day, he comes in with
more than a 2-1 chip lead over his closest
rival.
THE
FINAL ANALYSIS: Perhaps no poker player
in the world today has as fierce a reputation
as a no-limit hold�em player. The Devil
Fish will terrorize his opponents at this
final table with ceaseless bets, raises,
and reraises -- as long as he has a big
stack advantage. He is a player to be
feared.
SEAT 2: Jeremy �the Kid� Tinsley � Beaumont,
TX (Chip Count: 208,000)
BACKGROUND:
Despite his young age (25), �the Kid�
sure knows how to play. He�s been a professional
poker player most of his adult life. Jeremy
Tinsley�s father taught his son how to
play poker at the age of six. He initially
went to Las Vegas when he became an adult,
and took a $3,000 bankroll to see if he
could make it as a pro. Only a year later,
Tinsley had close to $100,000 in cash
and was playing $40-80 limit on a daily
basis. Tinsley later went back to his
native Texas, where he now regularly plays
in local cash games in the Houston and
Beaumont area. Tinsley is engaged to be
married.
HOW
HE GOT HERE: Tinsley made it past the
first day with about an average stack
size. However, he went on a roll on Day
Two � going from 12,750 up to 112,900.
The Kid doubled his stack again on Day
Three and now comes in third in chips.
Tinsley has avoided major confrontations
for the most part. He has acquired most
of his chips by sensing weakness in his
opponents and by making moves at the right
times. He has one advantage of being to
the immediate left of the biggest stack
(Ulliott).
THE
FINAL ANALYSIS: The Kid has built his
poker career on a very strong foundation.
He�s from a region of the country that
has produced many great poker champions,
and no doubt, is a much stronger player
because of those experiences. This will
be Tinsley�s big chance to prove he belongs
at the same table with the world�s best
poker players.
SEAT 3: Buddy Williams � Lawton, OK (Chip
Count: 162,000)
BACKGROUND:
Buddy Williams comes into the final table
as the sentimental favorite. He is perhaps
best known publicly for his role in one
of poker�s most memorable moments, which
took place at the first Jack Binion World
Poker Open in 2000. Buddy was eager to
play in the tournament that year, and
talked his brother Ronnie into driving
him to the event. Buddy had been playing
poker for more than 30 years, and Ronnie
reluctantly agreed to travel from their
hometowns in Oklahoma to Tunica, Mississippi
to give it a shot in the poker tournament.
In a bizarre twist of fate, Ronnie ended
up winning a seat for the main event in
a super satellite, at a cost of only $220.
Accordingly, Ronnie Williams played in
the main event and, incredibly, won the
tournament! As Ronnie was being presented
with the prize money and gold and diamond
bracelet, he asked for his brother Buddy
to be at his side. There was not a dry
eye in the house that day, as everyone
watched the two brothers celebrate. Buddy
Williams is 60 years old. He has worked
as a successful real estate broker. Although
he has played in many poker tournaments
in his life, this marks his biggest achievement
to date.
HOW
HE GOT HERE: Williams has plodded along
and managed to survive. He�s been in the
middle of the pack on all three previous
days and comes into the final table with
a decent stack size because he has played
solid poker. His biggest hand of the tournament
was when he came over the top of Phil
Hellmuth (with 10 players remaining) by
moving all-in after Hellmuth opened with
a sizable raise. Hellmuth reluctantly
called the all-in bet with 10-10, which
lost to Williams� K-K. That big pot put
Williams up close to $100,000 and catapulted
him to final table.
THE
FINAL ANALYSIS: Williams says he�s in
�the middle of the field� in terms of
talent at this year�s final table. According
to his own comments in looking at the
field of competitors, he firmly believes
he can outplay a few of his opponents,
while beating others might require some
luck. Williams says he is happy to be
here and wants to play his best. If he
wins the tournament, look for another
great, highly emotional, moment in poker
history to immediately follow.
SEAT
4: Phillip Ivey � Atlantic City, NJ (Chip
Count: 293,000)
BACKGROUND:
Phil Ivey, age 27, started playing poker
in Atlantic City, and within a short time
was playing against (and beating) the
best Seven Card Stud players in the world.
After getting restless with cash games
(too easy, perhaps?), Ivey turned his
attention to tournaments a few years ago
and since then, has been the player everyone
is talking about. He burst upon the tournament
poker scene in 2001 with a win here at
the World Poker Open. A few months later,
Ivey won his first World Series of Poker
title in Pot-Limit Omaha, defeating the
legendary �Amarillo Slim� Preston in a
heads-up battle (up to that point, Slim
had NEVER lost a heads-up match in a WSOP
match). In 2002, Ivey rocked the poker
world by winning a staggering three WSOP
bracelets (one of only three players to
win three events in a single year). Afterward,
the tournament director remarked, �Phil's
walking on water. It's not supposed to
be this easy.�
HOW
HE GOT HERE: Phil Ivey has been near the
the chip lead for all four days of the
tournament. He was 11th after Day One,
2nd after Day Two, and comes in 2nd on
the final day. Ivey�s biggest hand was
doubling up against Devil Fish in the
middle of the third day. With about $150,000
in chips, Ivey was dealt A-8. After the
flop came A-9-8, Ivey bet out, Devil Fish
raised, and Ivey reraised all-in. Devil
Fish didn�t like it, but called. Ivey�s
two pair held up, which gave him close
to $300,000 in chips. He�s been there
ever since.
THE
FINAL ANALYSIS: Many observers believe
that Ivey has the best chance to defeat
Devil Fish, should there be a heads-up
confrontation. It�s hard to argue. Ivey
plays to win and has an incredible track
record of victories for someone of such
a young age. Ivey�s intense level of concentration
may very well be the best in tournament
poker.
SEAT
5: Johnny Donaldson � Monticello, AR (Chip
Count: 125,000)
BACKGROUND:
If ever there was a big underdog in a
poker tournament, it�s Johnny Donaldson.
The 60-year-old building contractor from
Arkansas is making his first tournament
final table ever. In fact, Donaldson started
playing poker in public cardrooms only
about a year ago. He came to this year�s
World Poker Open and won his seat in a
super satellite (cost: $220). Donaldson
is married (his wife is a school teacher).
He also has two daughters who are attending
college. In his spare time, Donaldson
enjoys fishing and duck hunting.
HOW
HE GOT HERE: Donaldson was 23rd in chips
after Day One, and 17th after Day Two.
Throughout the tournament, Donaldson has
been in comfortable chip position, but
has never had more than 100,000 -- until
the last hour of Day Three.
THE
FINAL ANALYSIS: Don�t let the fact that
Donaldson has no final table experience
fool you. As the level of competition
has gotten tougher, Donaldson has clearly
risen to the occasion. Although he comes
in with the lowest stack, Donaldson has
plenty of chips to be a factor at this
final table. He has the luxury of seeing
many hands before the antes and blinds
make it mandatory to make a move. He�s
also the player that opponents know least
about, which means he enjoys some stealth
advantages. When asked his thoughts about
making the final table, Donaldson remarked,
�I�m going to win it.� That attitude and
level of confidence could be dangerous.
SEAT
6: Tommy Grimes � Houston, TX (Chip Count:
194,000)
BACKGROUND:
Tommy Grimes has been around poker and
gambling circles most, if not all of his
57 years. Born in Jackson, Mississippi,
Grimes took up poker at an early age.
After earning his degree in mathematics
and a stint in the Army, Grimes was a
road gambler for many years. He later
moved to Texas, where he now plays mostly
in local home games in the Houston area,
when he�s not playing in Tunica and Las
Vegas. Grimes plays mostly in the biggest
buy-in poker tournaments and prefers to
maintain a low profile as a successful
cash game player. Grimes is married, has
two children, and four grandchildren.
HOW
HE GOT HERE: Grimes started out very hot
on the first day. He was 7th in chips
after Day One, and 9th after Day Two.
Grimes knocked-out the 7th place finisher
of this year�s event, Galen Kester, at
the end of Day Three, with Q-Q versus
J-J. That big pot gave Grimes 194,000
in chips and makes him a player to watch
at the final table.
THE
FINAL ANALYSIS: Grimes very much believes
in the philosophy of �putting yourself
in a position to win.� He will not be
afraid to move his chips around. He also
brings more years of poker experience
to the table than any other player. That
should give him some advantages.
-- by Nolan Dalla
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