Comedy Moments from Devilfish, Dave Ulliott, British Poker Legend

Love him or not, poker wouldn't have been poker without Dave Ulliott, also known as The Devilfish. 

I can't say I have ever played poker of any type and for that reason I wasn't really aware of Dave until he had sadly passed on at the age of just 61. 

I do remember watching Late Night Poker in 1999, without realising who he was or what the program was about beyond the first real televised poker game, and I could see he was a character. 

A tough upbringing in Kingston Upon Hull made a man who wasn't afraid to stand his ground and live on the edge. However, his love of gambling led him to a life of relative respectability and fortune.

From having little understanding of playing poker (I still haven't) I read his autobiography: Devilfish: The Life & Times of a Poker Legend (published 2011). 

Some people may think his humour is a little too much because there isn't a page goes past where he isn't making a quip but it is just my type of comedy. If you haven't read the book, it is a superb, insightful read. 

I will be writing plenty more articles about Devilfish because he is worth his weight in gold. 

He stayed at some rundown hotel room which he turned into a comedy moment. 

Saying: ''The room was so small they painted the furniture on the walls, that the talking alarm clock told him to ''fuck off'' and that removing the bulb in the room actually made the light brighter.''

If you took all the jokes, comedy moments and gags, you would have an act that would put the likes of these so-called-modern-day-comedians in their place.

I would have loved and hated to imagine what he would have said about Michael McIntyre!

Ulliott was a hard man because in his line of work he needed to be. He went from a small-time poker playing mopping up cash from across the UK before dipping his toe into Las Vegas and literally going for gold - but dancing with the devil and often going for broke in his attempt to make it big. 

Ultimately, he made it big and won millions in his time. 

It's interesting that even though a very successful poker player we never felt he had much luck. Perhaps that is a feeling of so many gambler in life. 

He often quote that he would rather be lucky in life and health than with playing cards because he realised that was the true key to success. 

Sadly, he didn't have much luck on the health front and was diagnosed with colon cancer in February in 2015 and passed away on 6th April that year, he was aged just 61. 

If you want a good read, then this is one autobiography you will enjoy. His humour may not be to everyone's taste but it was a jewel in the crown of a great read. 

I'd have loved to bumped into the man himself in his day. 

God knows what he would have said to me, but if it had a touch of his humour I'd have smiled and said, good luck, winner.

That's exactly what this man from Hull achieved in the gritty world of poker at the highest level.