David "Devilfish" Ulliott

Ever since David Ulliott beat Men “The Master” Ngyuen in 1997, he’s been known as Devilfish - a deadly fish that can easily kill when not prepared correctly. With this threatening nickname and posh British accent, he continues to be a well known threat in the poker world.

Ulliott grew up playing cards at home and in school during lunch breaks. At 16 he made his way into a local casino and learned three-card brag – soon after that he was hooked. By that time, Ulliott had dropped out of high school and was working for various manual labor jobs, all while betting on sports and playing poker on the side. To support his gambling habits, Ulliott joined a group of men who robbed safes and kept the contents. Police quickly caught up with them and Ulliot was sentenced to nine months in prison.

The time in prison did not change him, however. In later years he was arrested again for armed robbery and public fighting, which provided him with a year and a half in federal prison. Upon leaving this time, he decided to straighten out his life. He got married and opened a pawnbroker’s shop, which later expanded into a jewelry business.

At this time, he still played poker on the side. His skills increased so much that no one wanted to play against him. Eventually this led to him turning pro.

In the early 1990’s, Ulliott began his tournament career in his hometown of London. He made a few trips to the US, however didn’t become a big name until his battle with Ngyuen in 1997. That was the year he entered his first WSOP where he earned a gold bracelet in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em event. He didn’t stop there – Ulliott made it to the final tables in tournaments all around Europe as well.

After winning several tournaments, Ullliott played in the WPT’s $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship in 2003. There, he earned his biggest win - $589,000.

Nowadays, Ulliott lives in Hull, England with his wife and seven children.  He still makes it over to America for tournaments and continues to have a reputation of playing aggressively and reading his fellow players accurately.

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