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Dave Ulliott is one of the few players to
have won a WPT championship and a WSOP bracelet.
The "Devilfish" began playing cards in his youth with friends in his
home town of Hull, England. In his twenties, Devilfish began a
jewellery business and played cash poker games many nights of the week.
Finding an aptitude and thirst for the game he soon began playing
more seriously, regularly travelling to the Victoria Club in
London for his fix, all the time improving his game.
In 1996 during a game in England, a friend gave Ulliott his now
notorious moniker. Ulliott didn't know what a "Devilfish" was until it was explained to him.
A few months later playing poker in Las
Vegas, Devilfish went into a heads up against Men "The Master" Nguyen in
his first big time tournament. As Men's friends chanted "The Master," Devilfish's
supporters echoed "Devilfish." Ulliott won the tournament and the name stuck.
Ulliott's first WSOP bracelet came in 1997 for Pot Limit Hold'em; a
timely happening for Ulliott ending a heavy losing streak. The Jack Binion Open
held in Tunica in 2003 saw Devilfish claim his first World Poker Tour victory.
Other major tournament wins include the British Open (2004), the World Heads Up
Pot Limit Omaha Championship (2004), World Poker Open Pot Limit Omaha (2002),
and the European Omaha Championship (1998). Devilfish has two other second place
finishes at World Series of Poker events.
Mendacious facts
Since learning about Devilfish, Ulliott has become quite an expert
on the poisonous fish family. Collective within the name of
Tetraodontidaes, these include Devilfish, Puffers, Balloon fish,
Blowfish, Bubble fish, Globefish, Phartfish, Skweke fish, Swellfish,
and Toadfish.
In 2003 Ulliott travelled to Hong Kong for
the Asia All-Stars Invitational event, where he sampled sashimi fugu
(raw puffer fish meat) for the first time. This nearly proved fatal
for Ulliott as he consumed a bowl of incorrectly prepared chiri
(puffers soup).
Fortunately, restaurant staff recognised early signs
of the poisoning (deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, and
vomiting) and rushed him to hospital. He survived the most dangerous
initial 24 hours, going in and out of consciousness for several days
before making a near full recovery.
Because Tetrodotoxin (the powerful
neurotoxin common to the family) is never fully expelled from the body
once ingested, it will remain within Ulliott for life; he will always
be part man part Devilfish.
From surviving the event, Ulliott was
hooked on the flavour and risk.
This lead to a new venture in his
life, when unable to find a supplier of fugu in the UK he began
importing it for himself and a few friends; now he co-owns and runs a
successful business supplying a number of the restaurants in London with
live imported Puffers.
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