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Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott was a British professional poker player from Kingston upon Hull, born on April 1, 1954. He won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1997, the first season of the UK television series Late Night Poker and a World Poker Tour title in 2003, when he beat Phil Ivey heads-up. He died on April 6, 2015, at the age of 61, and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame posthumously in 2017. [1][3][4][6]
Dave Ulliott: key facts
| Name | David “Dave” Ulliott [1][4] |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Devilfish [1] |
| Born | April 1, 1954, Kingston upon Hull, England [1][6] |
| Died | April 6, 2015 (aged 61) [3][7] |
| Nationality | United Kingdom [1] |
| Known for | Early televised poker in the UK; Pot-Limit Hold’em and Omaha; his outspoken table presence |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Inducted 2017 (posthumously) [4] |
| WSOP bracelets | 1 (33 WSOP cashes, 11 final tables) [2] |
| Major titles | WSOP 1997 $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em; Late Night Poker series 1 (1999); WPT Jack Binion World Poker Open 2003 [1][2][3] |
| Live tournament earnings | $6,235,082 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life in Hull
Ulliott was born in Kingston upon Hull in 1954 and left school at 15. According to his PokerNews profile, he became involved in organised crime as a young man, and during his 20s he served several prison sentences for offences including insurance fraud, armed robbery and affray. Shortly after meeting his second wife, he gave up crime and concentrated on poker, travelling to games across England. [1] When Victoria Coren met him in 1999, she later wrote in The Observer, he was a Hull pawnbroker with a criminal record and a WSOP gold bracelet. [9]
How he became “Devilfish”
The nickname came from a private game in which Ulliott was, in his own words, bossing the table, and an opponent called him a “devil fish”. He described the encounter to Card Player like this: “I was playing against a guy in Birmingham and he said to me, ‘You should be called Devilfish’… I responded and said I eat everything in the bath, except the soap.” [7]
The name stuck on his first trip to Las Vegas. Heads-up against Men “The Master” Nguyen in an Omaha event at the Four Queens Poker Classic, with Nguyen’s supporters cheering for “the Master”, his friend Gary Whitaker shouted back “Go on the Devilfish!”. Ulliott won, and a local newspaper headline the next day read “Devilfish Devours the Master”. [1]
Playing style
Ulliott’s best results came in pot-limit games. His only bracelet was won in Pot-Limit Hold’em, and several of his deepest WSOP runs were in Pot-Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo. [2][6] PokerNews wrote at the time of his Hall of Fame induction that it was his big personality on television, particularly in Europe, that made him one of poker’s best-known players. [4] After his death, Phil Hellmuth wrote that “Devilfishes effusive personality, good heart and beautiful world class style of poker lit up televised poker for yrs!” [3]
Greatest achievements
Tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | WPT Doyle Brunson Classic Championship (Five Diamond World Poker Classic) | 3rd | $674,500 | [6] |
| 2003 | WPT Jack Binion World Poker Open, $10,000 buy-in (160 entries) | 1st | $589,175 | [1][8] |
| 2007 | WSOP Event 7, Pot-Limit Omaha | 3rd | $332,582 | [6] |
| 2006 | Five Diamond World Poker Classic, No-Limit Hold’em Event 2 | 1st | $266,160 | [6] |
| 2005 | WSOP No-Limit Hold’em event | 3rd | $232,205 | [6] |
| 1997 | WSOP Event #9, $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em (247 entries) | 1st | $180,310 | [2] |
| 2010 | WSOP Event #46, $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (284 entries) | 3rd | $150,925 | [2] |
| 2013 | EPT London £10,300 High Roller | 6th | £82,315 | [1] |
| 1999 | Late Night Poker, series 1 | 1st | £40,000 | [1] |
World Series of Poker
Ulliott won his bracelet on April 26, 1997, in Event #9, the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em, finishing first of 247 entries for $180,310. [2] He came close to a second bracelet several times, finishing second in events at the 1998, 2000 and 2001 World Series. [1] His WSOP.com profile lists one bracelet, 33 cashes, 11 final tables and $1,716,532 in WSOP earnings. [2]
World Poker Tour title, 2003
In the first season of the World Poker Tour, Ulliott won the $10,000 Jack Binion World Poker Open, outlasting 159 other entrants. Phil Ivey finished second, and Ulliott took $589,175. [1][8] His largest recorded tournament cash came in December 2007, when he finished third in the WPT Doyle Brunson Classic Championship for $674,500. [6]
Poker Hall of Fame, 2017
After his death, players including Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel and Doyle Brunson called for him to be added to the Poker Hall of Fame. [3] On July 21, 2017, during a break at the WSOP Main Event final table, Ulliott and Phil Ivey were announced as that year’s inductees, chosen by a panel of 27 living Hall of Fame members and 18 media members. [4] Card Player described him as “a poker legend who was instrumental in spreading the game in England”. [5] His family said in a statement: “We know he will be up there strumming on his guitar and probably asking what took so long!” [4]
When he died in 2015, PokerNews reported his live tournament winnings at more than $6.2 million, second in the UK all-time list behind Sam Trickett at the time. [3]
Late Night Poker, books and film
Ulliott won the first season of Late Night Poker in 1999, the first poker show to use hole-card cameras, for a first prize of £40,000. [1][3] Victoria Coren, who met him at the recording of that series in Cardiff, remembered asking him: “Can I hold your bracelet?” [9]
His autobiography, Devilfish: The Life and Times of a Poker Legend, was written with Marcus Georgiou. [3] Reviewing it in The Observer in August 2010, Coren wrote: “The book is, like the man, fast, funny, scary, smart, cocky, colourful, and I adore them both.” [9]
In 2019 partypoker LIVE released a four-part documentary about his life, produced and directed by Marc Reeks, with contributions from players who knew him and from members of his family. [10]
Death
Ulliott was diagnosed with terminal bowel and liver cancer in early 2015. He died on April 6, 2015, aged 61; his son announced that he had “died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones”. He was survived by his wife, Anpaktita, and eight children. [3] His fellow British player Andrew “Giddy” Perendes said: “Poker is not poker without the name Devilfish.” [3]
In his own words
- “It is a hand that life has thrown at me. All my life I have had rubbish poker hands and I have managed to turn them around.” On his cancer diagnosis, Hull Daily Mail interview, April 2015. [3]
- “Life is a blast. It doesn’t last. Live it long and live it fast.” A saying of his, quoted by his family in 2017. [5]
- “I responded and said I eat everything in the bath, except the soap.” On the origin of his nickname. [7]
Iconic hands and moments
The Devilfish: the partypoker documentary
Devilfish vs. Phil Hellmuth on Premier League Poker
FAQ about Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott
When was Dave Ulliott born and when did he die?
He was born on April 1, 1954, in Kingston upon Hull, and died on April 6, 2015, at the age of 61. [1][3][6]
How did Devilfish die?
He died of cancer. He had been diagnosed with terminal bowel and liver cancer earlier in 2015. [3]
Why was Dave Ulliott called “Devilfish”?
An opponent in a private game in Birmingham first called him “Devilfish”. The name stuck in Las Vegas, when his friend Gary Whitaker shouted “Go on the Devilfish!” during his heads-up match against Men Nguyen at the Four Queens Poker Classic. [1][7]
How many WSOP bracelets did Devilfish win?
One, in the 1997 $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em event, worth $180,310. [2]
What was Dave Ulliott’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $6,235,082 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. Results from cash games, which he also played, are not published. [1]
Is Dave Ulliott in the Poker Hall of Fame?
Yes. He was inducted posthumously in 2017, in the same class as Phil Ivey. [4]
Did Devilfish write a book?
Yes. His autobiography, Devilfish: The Life and Times of a Poker Legend, was written with Marcus Georgiou and reviewed in The Observer in 2010. [3][9]
Who was Dave Ulliott married to?
At the time of his death he was married to Anpaktita. He had eight children. [3]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about Phil Ivey, his WPT runner-up in 2003 and fellow 2017 Hall of Fame inductee, Phil Hellmuth, his rival on Premier League Poker, and Patrik Antonius, the next European inducted into the Hall of Fame after him.
Sources
- PokerNews, Dave Ulliott player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, David Ulliott player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott Passes Away at Age 61, April 6, 2015.
- PokerNews, Phil Ivey, David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott Inducted into Poker Hall of Fame, July 21, 2017.
- Card Player, Phil Ivey, David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott Inducted Into Poker Hall Of Fame, July 2017.
- Card Player, David Ulliott player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- Card Player, Poker Legend Dave ‘DevilFish’ Ulliott Passes Away, April 2015.
- Card Player, WPT World Poker Open Starts Tomorrow.
- Victoria Coren, Devilfish: The Life and Times of a Poker Legend by Dave Ulliot, The Observer (The Guardian), August 2010.
- PokerNews, WATCH: Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott Full-Length Documentary Available on YouTube, February 20, 2019.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
