What do you think?
Rate this book
Devilfish: The Life & Times of a Poker Legend
'You only win big when you risk big'. Tough, revealing and hilarious - this is long-awaited life story of poker legend Dave 'Devilfish' Ulliott. The most successful British player in poker history, and one of only a few to crack America. He takes us on the rollercoaster ride of a pro-gambler's life, never dodging the dangers, failures and fights. From a council estate in Hull to a penthouse suite in Las Vegas; from cracking safes to parties at the Playboy mansion; and, from losing $700,000 in a day to TV's Late Night Poker triumph. Devilfish has seen it all, done it all, survived defeat, tasted victory, walked through fire, and still come out cracking jokes. And over five million quid ahead. Welcome to the high life and high times of the Devilfish.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 10, 2014
love it
January 29, 2018
This book is a fast-paced and humorous (if you like Hull-humour) insight into the murky life of a habitual criminal gambler who hit the glitzy heights of high-stakes poker at just the right time and reformed himself by becoming a professional gambler..!
When TV poker became an overnight sensation Dave Ulliott was a ready made star who just happened to be rather good at poker. He had the look, the patter, the attitude, and the nickname. A nerveless and ultra-aggressive style brought success at the table (but not always off it) which led to a hall of fame induction and becoming one of the most successful British poker players.
Ulliott regales the reader with tale after dodgy tale, all told with the same cocky but somehow endearing style. He's been in the right place at the wrong time, the wrong place at the right time, and the wrong place at the wrong time. But when Late Night Poker first aired Devilfish was definitely in the right place at the right time and this was the catalyst for stardom.
Anybody interested in poker, in particular the late history of the modern tv and internet age, should read this book. Anybody not interested in poker should still read this book as it is an eye-opening biography into the much misunderstood world of professional poker.
When TV poker became an overnight sensation Dave Ulliott was a ready made star who just happened to be rather good at poker. He had the look, the patter, the attitude, and the nickname. A nerveless and ultra-aggressive style brought success at the table (but not always off it) which led to a hall of fame induction and becoming one of the most successful British poker players.
Ulliott regales the reader with tale after dodgy tale, all told with the same cocky but somehow endearing style. He's been in the right place at the wrong time, the wrong place at the right time, and the wrong place at the wrong time. But when Late Night Poker first aired Devilfish was definitely in the right place at the right time and this was the catalyst for stardom.
Anybody interested in poker, in particular the late history of the modern tv and internet age, should read this book. Anybody not interested in poker should still read this book as it is an eye-opening biography into the much misunderstood world of professional poker.
September 19, 2024
Devilfish was certainly a colorful character. The first half of this chronicles his upbringing and trouble with the law. The latter half recounts his success in poker tournaments in the early aughts. Really not worth the read unless you are a fan of him and that era of poker. It's also peppered with a ton of half baked jokes and asides that mostly fall flat but do show that he was deeply involved in the writing. He passed in 2015 so RIP Devilfish.
June 9, 2018
Open the book and you take off faster than a rocket up an astronaut's arse - to quote the Devilfish. Always amusing and profane, a book I can relate to, and did. If you love poker hands, bad jokes, poker anecdotes, bad puns, rude comedy- this is one for you.
November 27, 2024
brilliant read so cruel his life ended so early
February 20, 2019
Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott: Born gambler? Yes.
Poker legend? Oh yes.
Granddaddy of one liners? Hell yeah!
When I read a certain book, I- read, read, read, (after a while) smile, chuckle or may be laugh, then read, read and repeat. During this one: smile, smile, smile, chuckle (spill my drink), smile, smile, grin idiotically, smile, smile, smile, burst out laughing double over and hit the ground (alarming my mum and dog) then repeat till the book ends. Yeah it’s that crazy!
Apart from poker feats (which are unbelievable to the point that they seem out of a movie and have made him a true legend) Dave’s life is his own making and the reason he ended up here is that he has a big funny heart. He lets you in on life mantras which are so fucked up that they are actually true. The best of them: It’s better to be in a wrong place at the right time, than in a right place at the wrong time. Go figure!
In situations when normal people are supposed to get a heart attack, Ulliott gets a buzz. And unlike the same people he goes on hunting for such situations because that’s what gambling is all about. His life is such a fantastic nightmare gone right that feeble hearted people can only dream of. That’s the reason he says, don’t do as I did, do as I say. It’s ok if you miss out on a book about your own life but it would be a loss if you missed his.
I have always wondered if I’ll ever jump into a burning house to save a book,………….I don’t anymore.
www.fizzyrant.com
Poker legend? Oh yes.
Granddaddy of one liners? Hell yeah!
When I read a certain book, I- read, read, read, (after a while) smile, chuckle or may be laugh, then read, read and repeat. During this one: smile, smile, smile, chuckle (spill my drink), smile, smile, grin idiotically, smile, smile, smile, burst out laughing double over and hit the ground (alarming my mum and dog) then repeat till the book ends. Yeah it’s that crazy!
Apart from poker feats (which are unbelievable to the point that they seem out of a movie and have made him a true legend) Dave’s life is his own making and the reason he ended up here is that he has a big funny heart. He lets you in on life mantras which are so fucked up that they are actually true. The best of them: It’s better to be in a wrong place at the right time, than in a right place at the wrong time. Go figure!
In situations when normal people are supposed to get a heart attack, Ulliott gets a buzz. And unlike the same people he goes on hunting for such situations because that’s what gambling is all about. His life is such a fantastic nightmare gone right that feeble hearted people can only dream of. That’s the reason he says, don’t do as I did, do as I say. It’s ok if you miss out on a book about your own life but it would be a loss if you missed his.
I have always wondered if I’ll ever jump into a burning house to save a book,………….I don’t anymore.
www.fizzyrant.com
February 23, 2013
I was so disappointed by this book and in truth it's actually closer to a 1* than a 2*. I thought it would a great look at poker scene from one its most enduring 'characters' - I'd read Victoria Coren's poker book and it was fantastic, and Devilfish made several cameos in that. What you get though is a book for idiots. This is clearly aimed at the 'lad' culture - the jokes are repetitive and corny while the sole aim of Devilfish's 'story-telling' is to make him out to be the biggest jack-the-lad around. Don't get me wrong, I knew who Dave Ulliott was beforehand, I knew he was arrogant and, as I say, a 'character'. But whatever charm he may be able to convey in person just isn't present here - I didn't laugh at his 'jokes' once and on more than one occasion I just thought to myself 'what a wanker'. I'd like to think it was the publisher that pushed the book this way, not the man himself, but either way if you have an IQ above 50, don't bother with it.
May 30, 2011
a rags to riches story of the uk's most successful poker player, with defeats, crime, safe breaking, boxing and everything else added in, all told in the devilfish's humour making it a very funny read.
if you like poker, like the devilfish and like a laugh, read it.
if you like poker, like the devilfish and like a laugh, read it.
July 6, 2012
What a legend ! What a man ! What a book ! One of the few books that lives up to the legend behind it. With all the hollywood style coverage these days it's easy to forget what an amazing record of results the Devilfish has. A definite must read.
February 5, 2015
Brief review : I'd have liked this a lot more if there was more poker and less Blimey-what-an-awesome-geezer-I-am. Ulliott is obviously a charmer, and also obviously a genius at the poker table, but I enjoyed the poker sections far more than the rest of it - and there weren't enough of them.
March 4, 2012
Good for poker fans... the parts about his life were interesting.... the endless details of how he played specific poker hands.... not so interesting to me. Steve LOVED this book :)
October 27, 2012
Hands down best biography I've ever read. Whether you are into poker or not, this is a must read.
July 11, 2012
Good read from a UK poker legend.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews